The world's most efficient double deck battery-electric bus has visited the Isle of Man as part of a tour to demonstrate its zero-emission capabilities.
The rapid-charge StreetDeck Electroliner - the first ever EV from pioneering bus builder Wrightbus - was launched by the firm in 2021. Official tests have revealed the bus to be the most energy-efficient of its kind on the market.
The vehicle has been on a UK-wide tour to give bus operators and local authorities the chance to see it in action and showcase its capabilities.
Bus operator Bus Vannin has been trialling the bus on the Isle of Man over the last few weeks. It has been used as part of the fleet transporting tens of thousands of visitors to the Isle of Man TT - an annual motorbike racing event.
The StreetDeck Electroliner is the perfect combination of range and efficiency, maximising power and offering class-leading recharge times.
Official assessments undertaken at UTAC using the ZEMO-accredited Ultra Low Emission Bus (ULEB) test showed that the vehicle achieved a result of 0.69 kWh/km - around half the energy consumed by its closest BEV double deck UK rival and significantly better than all other BEV single deck bus results published on the ZEMO website.
Not only is it more energy-efficient, but according to ULEB calculations, the StreetDeck Electroliner also produces an impressive 86% less CO2 per km than the ZEMO Euro6 Diesel baseline.
Jean-Marc Gales, CEO at Northern Ireland-based Wrightbus, said:
“Seeing the impact our zero-emissions fleet is having on communities is incredibly gratifying and we’re delighted we have been able to show bus passengers on the Isle of Man what our StreetDeck Electroliner is capable of.
“We’ve created the most efficient vehicle by combining optimum power with a class-leading rapid charge, meaning our electric bus spends more time on the road than any other.
“Since the bus was launched, we’ve had significant interest from across the UK and beyond, and it is great to see it in operation in towns and cities which are eyeing zero-emission transport.
“Wrightbus has a clear plan in place to increase the ease and affordability of zero-emission buses, providing more attractive and greener public transport options for service users.”
Founded in 1946, Wrightbus has been at the forefront of public transport for more than 75 years and is still based in the heart of Ballymena, Northern Ireland.
It has been at the forefront of the movement to decarbonise public transport across the UK and Ireland with its world-first hydrogen double decker, the StreetDeck Hydroliner, alongside the Electroliner.