Wrightbus has introduced its new brand, Rightech, along with four new electric vehicle models: two 7.5-tonne trucks and two buses.
This move is part of the manufacturer’s strategy to support fleet decarbonisation. The new buses will measure 6 metres and 9 metres long, thus offering shorter models for customers in the UK, Ireland, and Europe.
Meanwhile, the new trucks will be available in left-hand and right-hand drive.
Rightech has already secured orders for its newly launched vehicles. These units will be supported by a Wrightbus warranty and service package, including the UK’s largest fleet of mobile technicians.
Additionally, Rightech has signed a service agreement with Sapphire, adding 14 regional workshops across the UK to Wrightbus’s existing facilities in Ballymena, Bicester, and Warwick.
In Europe, four Letters of Intent have been signed with service providers in Germany, France, and Benelux, alongside the Wrightbus service hub in Brühl.
Charging infrastructure for the new vehicles will be provided by Ryze Power, a net-zero energy company within the Wrightbus portfolio.
W-Tech, the Wrightbus technology and research centre established with Queen’s University Belfast, will support operators in optimising fleet efficiency.
Wrightbus CEO Jean-Marc Gales said:Wrightbus has been flying the flag for zero emissions long before anyone else. Our hydrogen double-decker was the world’s first and we have 1,700 electric buses on the road, covering millions of miles across the UK and Europe with an in-service availability of 98.6%.
However, we want to be a global mobility business and to do this we need to broaden our product portfolio. Our factory continues to increase production of full-size single and double-deck buses but to meet demand in the zero-emission midi-bus sector this partnership makes sense. The quickest way to decarbonise truck and bus fleets is to electrify immediately.
The launch follows record growth for Wrightbus, which is now Europe’s fastest-growing bus manufacturer. The company employs 2,200 people across facilities in Northern Ireland and Malaysia, with service centres in the UK, Northern Ireland, and Germany.
The new Rightech range is based on a strategic framework agreement with two Chinese manufacturers. Wrightbus engineers have spent over 30,000 hours independently testing, designing, and validating the vehicles to meet Wrightbus standards.
Bamford, who bought Wrightbus out of administration in 2019, said Rightech would help accelerate the decarbonisation plans for all transport and fleet operators.
