Ticket to Thrive

Ballymena firm Wrightbus is not only revolutionising bus fleets around the UK and globally with its electric and hydrogen vehicles, it’s positioned itself as a service provider, a fundamental player in our transition to zero emissions, Managing Director Neil Collins tells Emma Deighan.

Entrepreneur Jo Bamford’s buyout of Wrightbus in 2019 not only saved hundreds of jobs, but it has repositioned the business’ standing in the world of zero-emission transport solutions.

Add to that new owner Mr Bamford’s role as founder in Ryze Hydrogen – a firm that offers cost-effective hydrogen supply to transport networks, as well as Wrightbus’ intensive R&D processes with Queen’s University – and it’s clear the company’s evolution to become much more than a bus producer is well underway.

“Our ambition continues to grow,” Neil begins. “When Jo Bamford took over the business there were 58 people working here. Today there are 770 and we will probably end the year shy of 1,000.”

Neil says the 90-acre Ballymena site is capable of producing 3,500 buses annually. And while it might not be running at full capacity just yet, the company’s aim is to reach capacity in the coming years.

Wrightbus launched the world’s first hydrogen-powered double-decker bus in 2020 and deals have been “very strong”. “So far we’ve sold 85 of those buses and they’ve covered just under one million miles,” Neil reveals.

The StreetDeck Hydroliner was showcased at the Green Zone at COP26 in November, drawing the attention of influential delegates from around the world. It creates no exhaust fumes and emits only water vapour.

The StreetDeck Hydroliner is equipped with a Hydrogen Fuel Cell power train and its battery pack can store up to 48kWh, allowing the bus to travel up to 280 miles. It was designed to meet the demands of both bus drivers and passengers and has been developed as part of the JIVE project funded by the European Union (Joint Initiative for Hydrogen Vehicles across Europe).

Already some of these buses are traversing networks in locations including Aberdeen, Birmingham, London, Dublin and Belfast and collectively have already saved 9,000 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

Meanwhile the firm’s Streetdeck Electroliner BEV has been produced to meet the demands of most urban routes, and is similar to Wrightbus’ diesel model.

Translink will overhaul its Foyle network using the firm’s Electroliner after it placed a £30m order with Wrightbus to make Foyle Metro completely zero carbon. “The interesting thing is, in 2021 70% of products we made were diesel. This year 70% will be zero emissions and that just shows you where the industry is going. It also shows that the government is very keen to get mass transport systems using greener vehicles,” adds Neil.

“Our electric model is also very popular for urban routes and orders are very strong there too.

“We believe over the next 10 years we will see many changes in affordability. Right now hydrogen is a challenge in terms of availability and price but there is a lot of ongoing work in the green hydrogen space to put extra capacity in to produce more. Jo Bamford also owns Ryze and collectively that will mean the cost of green hydrogen will come down.

“We also believe the cost of technology will reduce too, supporting the growth of electric vehicles. We work on electrical diagnostics too which will support that.”

He adds that hydrogen buses will be the most attractive offering for the more rural routes, while electrical will appeal to urban cycles. He concludes: “There is demand for both and certain export markets where there are temperature extremes, hydrogen works well in that case.”

Neil says while Wrightbus has now become synonymous with greening up transport networks, the company is also establishing itself as something of a service provider.

“As a company we are moving away from being just a bus manufacturer to being a service provider. We have the ability to offer help with infrastructure for bus operators. We can offer the modelling and design services, we can offer fuel through Ryze, the vehicle itself, aftercare and we have a very sophisticated telematic system that can provide real-time feedback on performance, maintenance and CO2 savings.”

The WB UPTIME 365 “will enable all Wrightbus models to stay at peak performance for longer, communicating with control rooms at the touch of a button via 5,000 thresholds and sensors,” reads its brief.

“It can integrate those 5,000 signals into the client’s system,” Neil continues. “It can integrate into Smart City systems and inform passengers if vehicles are full or not.”

Another string to the Wrightbus bow is its work at Queen’s University, performed through the engineering research hub W-Tech, named so after William Wright, the founder of Wrightbus.

Here the business employs 35 people to carry out research. Neil says: “We’ve developed a sophisticated modelling system there where we can put bus routes into the model and that will tell us and the customer which bus they need to service that route; whether it’s a vehicle with three or four sets of batteries or a hydrogen vehicle.

“One of our other projects through W-Tech is with the sociology department. It tells us that bus patronage is falling and it looks at the drivers that have pushed people to cars outside the big cities.

“With that project we can see how we can help bus operators to get people back onto buses.”

Neil believes a social shift will take place imminently, supporting the growth of bus usage.

He says: “People are thinking more and more about their own carbon emission impact. There has been legislation introduced too, with taxes on various things including passenger taxes on flights. In France they have extra taxes on internal flights and governments are also acting but there is definitely a move within the public. A lot of people will look at their own behaviour and choose the better option.”

Opportunity for the firm that was once in the grips of collapsing just three years ago is huge, Neil says. He credits a “structured product roadmap” as securing a hugely promising future for Wrightbus. “We will continue to develop new zero-emission buses for various markets

“The interesting thing is, in 2021 70% of products we made were diesel. This year 70% will be zero emissions and that just shows you where the industry is going. It also shows that the government is very keen to get mass transport systems using greener vehicles.”

across the world and we will focus on other markets worldwide too.

“We have developed sophisticated powertrains and chassis for buses which will allow us to partner with other businesses around Europe.”

He says the German market is particularly rich in opportunity thanks to a new government cash injection of £9bn there for hydrogen projects.

He adds: “Our capacity will double this year and what will come with that is a challenge to find new skill sets. There is a lot more skill needed to make buses today. We need software skills, gas handling talent and we’ve 27 apprentices working towards those roles.

“We are also looking to recruit another 20 apprentices, while the council in Antrim is looking to make the area a clean tech hub.

“We will continue working with Queen’s and local schools to ensure there are clear pathways into the business and show that coming through the apprenticeship route can lead to senior roles. We have a history of doing that.”

And while competition is growing in the sector, particularly in the Chinese market, Wrightbus will “continue to spend in research and development to differentiate ourselves”.

“We will offer what we believe is the best in class and we will make sure we are closely aligned with what bus operators and governments are doing in terms of their route to zero emissions. We are aligning ourselves right and moving away from just being a bus manufacturer,” Neil says.