Wrightbus has shared initial test data from a new Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) system which it said is poised to deliver exceptional fuel and C02 performance at a reduced lifecycle cost compared to current hybrid electric systems.
The new Wrightbus HEV system is a development for the Wrightbus StreetLite single-decker and StreetDeck double-decker range, which will be known as the StreetLite HEV and StreetDeck HEV respectively.
It is a parallel hybrid system which utilises two motor generator units and a highly efficient lithium titanate battery to store the energy recovered under braking.
When specified with Wrightbus’ third generation ‘Micro Hybrid’ technology, the overall system – according to recent tests carried out at Millbrook – achieves fuel consumption and C02 emission levels which are 34% better than the Euro 5 baseline. Wrightbus claimed that with a lower lifecycle cost in comparison to current HEV systems, StreetLite HEV and StreetDeck HEV models will therefore have the potential to achieve a payback on initial investment over much shorter time-frames. Full production is scheduled for 2018.
