Automotive Expotrs November 2022

First Bus
partners with
Equipmake to
upgrade York
EV fleet
Awarded a contract to fully convert 12 Optare Versa buses from existing EV Generation one First Bus is partnering
with Equipmake Holdings plc (Equipmake), to repower 12 of the operator’s first-generation electric buses in
York. As one of the UK’s largest bus operators, First Bus has pledged to operate a full zero emission fleet by 2035.
Leading electrification specialist,
Equipmake has been awarded a contract
to convert the 12 First York electric Optare
Versa buses using its pioneering electric
drivetrain at the company’s base in
Snetterton, Norfolk.
Equipmake expects each converted bus to
have a range of 150 miles in all UK weather
conditions, thanks to a larger battery and a
patented HVAC system, extending the life
of existing zero-emissions public transport
for the people of York.
Both single-deckers, such as the Versa,
and double-deckers, can be repurposed to
incorporate Equipmake’s unique, scalable,
modular Zero Emission Drivetrain (ZED).
Equipmake repowers are tailored to specific
requirements provided by the operator,
with service routes simulated to ensure the
optimum battery power level is selected to
secure driving ranges of 150 to 250 miles.
This range is more than sufficient for a
complete duty cycle, allowing buses to be
recharged faster, overnight and operate for
longer during the day.
Equipmake’s repower programme has both
environmental and cost benefits, with each
conversion costing less than half the cost
of a new electric bus. With most buses in
service for 14 years or more, operators can
make significant savings by repowering a
bus halfway through its usable life.
Work is already underway on the first Versa
conversion, and following the successful
trial, 11 more buses will be repowered over
the coming months, with delivery of the
first vehicle scheduled for November this
year.
Ian Foley, CEO, Equipmake, said:
“Repowered buses represent a fantastic
opportunity for operators to help accelerate
the much-needed transition to sustainable
mobility. Together with our new electric
bus, the Jewel E, this technology can
facilitate a significant reduction in air
pollution across the country. We are
delighted that First Bus has chosen to
implement our pioneering technology in 12
of the buses in its York Park & Ride fleet.
This is great news for passengers and for
the people of York, who can look forward
to cleaner air in their city. This agreement
reflects the strong demand we are seeing
for our products, which has, in turn, driven
plans to expand our facility, creating 180
jobs, bringing the total number of staff
employed at Equipmake to 255.”
Garry Birmingham, Director for
Decarbonisation at First Bus, said: “First Bus
has repeatedly demonstrated its ambition
to provide zero-emission transport in the
local communities that we operate in.
The retrofitting of our older electric buses
is another great example of how we can
maximise the lifespan of a bus, beyond 15
years, and in addition, significantly reduce
the embodied carbon associated with
manufacturing new vehicles. This is an
extension of our Zero Emission Mission 2035
target, in support of our wider commitment
to setting ambitious science-based targets
to achieve Net Zero Emissions. These 12
repowered buses use a clever and costeffective
technology, which underlines our
commitment to offer sustainable transport
solutions. Nationally, First Bus is committed
to delivering our zero-emission fleet goal,
and First York’s partnership with Equipmake
is a great example of how we can achieve
this ambition.”
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