This story first appeared in the July issue of DieselTalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE
NZ Bus is still committed to leading the industry in transitioning to electric-powered public transport.
That’s irrespective of recent PTOM tender outcomes in Wellington and technical issues delaying the testing of its first prototype bus using the retrofitted WrightSpeed powertrain, it says.
DIESELtalk asked NZ Bus chief executive officer Zane Fulljames for an update on the progress of the WrightSpeed initiative.
In May last year Fulljames said the focus in the near term was on re-powering Wellington’s trolley buses. That followed the company announcing in April 2016 that it hoped to have re-powered buses on the road by the last quarter of 2016.
“This makes sense given they have around ten years of life left and it means that instead of scrapping them, we can put them back on the road anywhere in New Zealand without the need for them to be connected to an overhead lines network.” he said.
This month Fulljames admitted technical issues had delayed the timetable for converting the trolley bus fleet to a Wrightspeed powertrain.
He did not go into detail about the issues but said NZ Bus will continue with the US$43 million project.
Fulljames told DIESELtalk WrightSpeed has been working through some issues in respect of retrofitting the electric powertrain.
“The good news is that they are now making good progress and Wrightspeed are now in the final stages of their acceptance testing of the first prototype before officially handing over to NZ Bus,” he says.
“Once handed over, we will complete our final acceptance testing over a 30-day period.
“Getting to this stage has taken a lot longer than we originally anticipated but it is not uncommon for innovation that is breaking new ground, such as this, to hit speed bumps and we want to ensure that we get this right.
“Once the prototype is proven on the road, we expect to be able to progressively retrofit the Wrightspeed electric powertrain to all the retiring trolley buses over the next few months.”
Alongside the retrofitting programme, NZ Bus has also been trialling a BYD electric bus in Auckland and Wellington for several months. The testing is showing very positive results, Fulljames says.
“These two initiatives reflect our commitment to leading the industry in transitioning to electric-powered public transport.”
Wrightspeed, the California-based start-up company founded by New Zealand engineer Ian Wright, announced in May it was starting series production of its range-extended electric powertrains for stop-start and urban heavy-duty vehicle commercial applications.
Wrightspeed has built two prototype trucks – two parcel delivery trucks for Federal Express – and is working on a garbage truck application.
Wright admitted in an address to guests attending the MTA100 conference in Wellington that the transition from a start-up company to one engaged in full series production was difficult.
“You need 100% of the parts needed for production to go ahead and it’s a complex supply chain to have everything come in at once,” he said.
The National Business Review said Wright recently spent a weekend in Wellington testing the first bus that will roll out as part of his company’s contract with NZ Bus.
Wright is reported to have said the weekend was a great success.
“That was the first time we put one of their [NZ Bus] executive guys in the bus and had them drive it – and he had a grin from ear to ear.”
