Equipmake showcases Westway’s repowered Van Hool at ITT Hub
Equipmake showcased its coach repower technology at ITT Hub in Farnborough.
The vehicle repower specialist displayed Westway Coach’s Van Hool T917, which has had its diesel engine converted to electric. The conversion from ICE to fully electric maintains the passenger and luggage capabilities of the original coach.
The conversion has seen the coach’s diesel engine replaced with an Equipmake ZED featuring a 545kWh battery pack, alongside an electric motor, inverter and efficiency-maximising HVAC system. All developed in-house by Equipmake at its headquarters in Snetterton, Norfolk, the Zero Emission Drivetrain (ZED) specified for the Westway Coach application is expected to give the repowered Van Hool T917 a range of up to 220 miles.
Equipmake’s ZED can be applied to any coach from single to double-decker. Repower solutions can be bespoke to specific customer requirements. According to the company, it can provide pure electric ranges up to 250 miles.
Westway Coach and Equipmake have recently agreed a partnership to accelerate the repowering of the operator’s fleet. In-service testing of the company’s initial coach is set to begin in the third quarter of this year with the objective that further Westway vehicles are repowered over the coming months.
“Repowering is an important and cost-effective technology that bridges the gap between diesel and a new electric coach fleet” – Ian Foley, CEO, Equipmake
Ian Foley, CEO, Equipmake, said: “Repowering is an important and cost-effective technology that bridges the gap between diesel and a new electric coach fleet. We can apply our in-house developed Zero Emission Drivetrain (ZED) to any coach, and work with a fleet customer to specify a fully electric driving range from 100 miles all the way up to 250 miles, making long distances entirely possible.
“Factor in no compromises on passenger or luggage capacity and repowering upcycles a perfectly good vehicle in the most cost-effective way, making sense for any size of fleet, while also solving the conundrum faced by operators who may only be part-way through the lifecycle of a vehicle, enabling them to transition without resorting to the financial burden of a new electric coach.”