The company says retro-fitting older vehicles will appeal to operators and local authorities that cannot find the money for new ones, and expects it w

Workshop converts diesel buses to use battery power

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2024-06-24 10:30:09

The company says retro-fitting older vehicles will appeal to operators and local authorities that cannot find the money for new ones, and expects it will extend the life of each bus by a decade.

Technician David Connolly moved to help start the new venture, which uses batteries from a French company but sourced in China.

Four battery packs have been fitted where the engine used to be. A fifth battery has been installed inside. A range of 175 miles is promised, charging once a day.

Chief Executive Jean-Marc Gales said: "This is for bus companies that want to decarbonise faster, but cannot afford the investment a new bus requires.

Even if this is a stop-gap solution to speed up reducing emissions on public transport, the workshop boasts a full order book until the middle of 2025.

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