Equipmake to repower Big Bus Tours open-toppers
Fleet repower specialist Equipmake is to repower ten open-top double-deckers.
The company has partnered with the world’s largest sightseeing company, Big Bus Tours, in a fleet deal that will see ten of its open-top buses repowered with its zero-emission electric drivetrain technology.
The ten diesel vehicles scheduled for repowering are all Ankai double-deck sightseeing buses. They will each be given Equipmake’s Zero-Emission Drivetrain (ZED) technology, which in this specification features a 327kWh capacity battery, providing in excess of 120 mile daily range. The first of these vehicles is scheduled to enter service in the first quarter of 2024.
“Through innovations like this, we will be playing our part in improving the capital’s air quality” – Gerry Price, Executive Vice President at Big Bus Tours
Gerry Price, Executive Vice President at Big Bus Tours, said: “Our partnership with Equipmake will significantly support us as we transition our fleet to zero-emissions. The state-of-the-art technology it has developed and its shared commitment to sustainability makes this a hugely exciting opportunity for us. Through innovations like this, we will be playing our part in improving the capital’s air quality and giving the hundreds of thousands of tourists who use our sightseeing services every year an even more enjoyable experience.”
“It’s fantastic to work with companies that share a forward-thinking mindset and recognise the immense advantages of repowering” – Ian Foley, CEO of Equipmake
Ian Foley, CEO of Equipmake, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Big Bus Tours as it continues to make its fleet more sustainable. It’s fantastic to work with companies that share a forward-thinking mindset and recognise the immense advantages of repowering. By choosing to repower, Big Bus Tours will not only benefit from an excellent opportunity to achieve net-zero targets and play a key role in improving local air quality, but also make significant operating cost savings over the purchase of a new electric bus.”
Each Equipmake repower is completely bespoke to the requirements of the specific vehicle with service routes simulated to ensure the optimum battery level is selected, and that required mileage is achievable.
The modular and scalable ZED features Equipmake’s in-house developed electric motor, inverter and power electronics, combined with the latest in lithium-ion batteries. One of its most important features is Equipmake’s patented ultra-efficient thermal management system, which maintains all three of the ZED’s key components (the battery pack, motor and inverter) at an optimum operating temperature to help maximise vehicle range.
Featuring an advanced water-glycol cooling circuit, the system has the added benefit of providing interior heating during cold conditions with captured thermal energy. When the battery is depleted at the end of a complete duty cycle, it can be recharged at the depot overnight via a CSS DC charging point.