Second wind

13/10/2020 WebSupport Features, Supplier Profiles

Baumot can significantly extend the life of Euro V vehicles with its range of exhaust retrofit systems. Peter Jackson spoke to one of the firm’s directors to learn more about its history, current offering and future plans

As the battle to clean up the nation’s air continues, no one solution is emerging as the obvious way forward when it comes to coaches and buses. Sure, electric buses are gathering momentum and the technology is improving at a rapid rate, but their range (or lack thereof) and significant charging times mean they’re not perfectly suited for every application – least of all touring coaches. Hydrogen and biogas have their merits too, but bring with them significant costs in terms of infrastructure.

In the midst of all this talk of zero-emission vehicles, it’s easy to forget just how clean Euro VI diesel coaches and buses are; Euro VI diesel buses emit on average 10 times less NOx per passenger/km than a Euro 6 diesel car, according to Go-Ahead subsidiary Unilink.

This is where retrofits come in. There are hundreds of Euro V vehicles out there that may be in excellent shape visually and mechanically, but simply don’t meet the criteria for Euro VI. Companies like Baumot, however, can develop and install systems to clean up older vehicles so that they’re every bit as environmentally-friendly as the latest showroom-fresh models – and for a much lower price.