Equipmake has partnered with the world’s largest sightseeing company, Big Bus Tours, in a fleet deal that will see 10 double-deck, open-top buses repowered with its zero-emission electric drivetrain (ZED) technology.
Millions of tourists arrive in the UK capital every week, and many use the iconic
open-top tour buses to see the city’s famous and historic sites. Supporting Big Bus Tours’ commitment to sustainability, Equipmake is working with the operator to convert a significant proportion of its existing fleet from diesel to fully electric.
“Our partnership with Equipmake will significantly support us as we transition our fleet to zero emissions,” said Gerry Price, Executive Vice President at Big Bus Tours. “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.”
The 10 vehicles scheduled for repowering are all Ankai double-deck sightseeing buses – and each will be converted to incorporate Equipmake’s ZED technology, which in this specification features a 327kWh capacity battery, providing more than 120-mile daily range. The first vehicle will enter service in Q1 2024.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Big Bus Tours as it continues to make its fleet more sustainable,” said Ian Foley, CEO of Equipmake, “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 company states that repurposing an existing bus chassis and body can save 90 tonnes of embedded CO2, in comparison to producing brand new electric double deck buses. Each conversion costs less than half of a new electric bus, and with most buses in service for 14 years or more, operators can make significant savings by repowering a bus halfway through its operational life.
