early March at its Ballymena headquarters. JONATHAN WELCH
Wrightbus has unveiled its two new contenders in the coach market; the Contour is available now, and its in-house design team says a new hydrogen coach is due soon. Jonathan Welch reports
It might have been unexpected, but wasn’t really a surprise to hear that Wrightbus has decided to diversify into coach production, reprising a part of its history which has lain dormant since the 1980s. As an initial step in that direction, the company has chosen to quickly bring to market a Euro VI diesel coach in collaboration with a production partner, responding to the long lead times and increasing demand from the sector for new vehicles and filling what it believes is a growing gap in the market. In the longer term, the company is developing its own tri-axle, flexible coach platform which will initially be offered as a hydrogen-powered vehicle, but with other drivetrain options available.
On Wednesday 5 March, the press and operators were invited to the Wrightbus factory to look at the new vehicle in its line-up for the first time. As with the recent Rightech launch, Wrightbus has chosen to work with an existing producer rather than re-invent the wheel and design a new 12m diesel coach from the ground up. From a time-scale perspective, it’s a logical step that makes sense. The demand is there now, and Wrightbus is in a position to fulfil it, and can do so without the cost of developing a brand new product at a time when there’s some uncertainly as to what the future holds for diesel.
[…]Are you enjoying this feature? Why not subscribe to continue reading?
Subscribe for 6 issues/weeks from only £6Or login if you are already a subscriber
By subscribing you will benefit from:
• Operator & Supplier Profiles
• Face-to-Face Interviews
• Lastest News
• Test Drives and Reviews
• Legal Updates
• Route Focus
• Industry Insider Opinions
• Passenger Perspective
• Vehicle Launches
• and much more!
