Wright Electrocity
| Wright Electrocity | |
|---|---|
 A Wright Electrocity operated by Travel London at North Greenwich. | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Wrightbus |
| Body and chassis | |
| Doors | 2 doors |
| Floor type | Low floor |
| Chassis | Based on VDL SB120 |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine |
Vauxhall/Ford Puma (as built) Cummins ISBe (rebuilds) |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 10.9 metres |
| Chronology | |
The Wright Electrocity is a type of hybrid electric bus built by Wrightbus between 2002 and 2013. The Electrocity was based on VDL SB120 chassis for most of these buses, except for a single Dennis Dart SLF prototype.
The Electrocity will be replaced by the Wright StreetAir from October 2016.[1]
First generation (2002–2013)
Two Electrocity prototypes were initially built in 2002; one based on Dennis Dart SLF chassis, and the other based on DAF SB120 chassis.[2] The bodywork design was similar to the existing Wright Cadet and Crusader, which were also built on DAF SB120 and Dennis Dart SLF chassis respectively, with the addition of battery pods on the roof of the Electrocity being the main difference from the Cadet and Crusader. The Electrocity was the first bus of its kind to be built, and the prototypes competed mainly with the TransBus Enviro200H.
2005 facelift
The Electrocity design was facelifted in 2005 to match the updated Cadet design, with the main noticeable change being rounded front headlights. Following the collapse of TransBus International in 2004 and subsequent cancellation of the Enviro200H programme, Transport for London placed the first order of six Electrocities, based on VDL SB120 chassis, for use on route 360 (operated by Go-Ahead Group subsidiary London Central);[3] this first batch of buses entered service in early 2006.
All subsequent Electrocities were built on VDL SB120 chassis. In 2007, another five Electrocities were built for use on route 129, and entered service with Travel London in 2007.[4] However, these have since been withdrawn from service. A single Electrocity was built for London Central in 2008, followed by a batch of six in 2011. These were the last buses to be built to the same Wrightbus design philosophy as that introduced with the Wright Renown in 1997, fourteen years previously; the similarity in the design of the Renown and the Electrocity, at least on the surface with the body design, is evident.
2013 facelift
The Electrocity was facelifted again in 2013, with the design now matching that of the first generation Wright Eclipse at the front and rear; in addition, the rooftop battery pod was now much larger and taller, extending the full length of the bus.
Three Electrocities were ordered by First London in 2013 and, following the company's sale by FirstGroup, the final Electrocity was delivered to successor company Tower Transit in October 2013. After this, no further orders were received and production of the Electrocity was wound down.
The Electrocity was replaced by the Wright StreetAir in 2016.[5]
Gallery
A Wright Electrocity operated by London Central in South Kensington in February 2006.
A Wright Electrocity operated by Go-Ahead London in Pimlico in June 2013.
See also
References
- ↑ http://www.route-one.net/articles/Deliveries/Wrightbus__new_range_of_electric_buses_revealed
- ↑ http://www.ecotravel.org.uk/documents/LCA_of_alternative_fuels/Chapter5.pdf (page 3)
- ↑ Bus and Coach News - First Electrocity order for Wrightbus
- ↑ Focus Transport: Hybrids in London
- ↑ http://www.route-one.net/articles/Deliveries/Wrightbus__new_range_of_electric_buses_revealed
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wright Electrocity. |