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Wright GB Kite

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Wright GB Kite
First Leeds Wright GB Kite Electroliner on The Headrow, Leeds, in February 2024
Overview
ManufacturerWrightbus
Production2022–present
AssemblyBallymena, Northern Ireland
Body and chassis
ClassElectric bus
Fuel cell bus
Doors1 or 2
Floor typeLow floor
ChassisIntegral
RelatedWright GB Hawk
Wright StreetDeck
Powertrain
Capacity90 maximum
Battery
Range
  • Electroliner BEV
  • 250 miles (400 km)[1]
  • Hydroliner FCEV
  • 640 miles (1,030 km)[2]
Dimensions
Length10.9 metres (36 ft), 11.6 metres (38 ft), 12.5 metres (41 ft)
Width2.5 metres (8.2 ft)
Height3.3 metres (11 ft)
Chronology
PredecessorWright Eclipse 3
Wright StreetAir

The Wright GB Kite is a range of full-size zero-emission single-deck buses manufactured by Wrightbus since 2022. Similar in body style to the diesel powered Wright GB Hawk, the GB Kite is an integral design that can be built as a battery electric vehicle, the Electroliner BEV, and as a fuel cell electric vehicle, the Hydroliner FCEV.[1][2]

The GB Kite range was launched in September 2021, following the launch of the double-deck Wright StreetDeck Electroliner and Hydroliner range earlier in the year.[3] The Electroliner BEV has a maximum range of 250 miles (400 km) with the top option of a 567kwh battery, charged through conventional DC charging or pantograph charging. The Hydroliner FCEV has a maximum range of 640 miles (1,030 km), powered with a with either a 70 or 100kwh fuel cell system produced by Ballard Power Systems in combination with a 35 kg (77 lb) or 50 kg (110 lb) hydrogen tank.[4] Regular production of both GB Kite variants was fully underway by December 2022.[5]

Operators

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Hydroliner FCEV

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Metrobus Fastway Wright GB Kite Hydroliner FCEV in Crawley in May 2023

The first orders for GB Kites was placed in November 2021, with Metrobus ordering 20 Hydroliner FCEV vehicles for use on the Fastway network.[6][7] The first buses from this order, also being the first production Hydroliner FCEVs, began entering service with Metrobus on the Fastway network in April 2023, with the order for 20 completed later in June.[8][9] By 2024, however, up to two thirds of the Fastway Hydroliner fleet were not being used in regular service due to the Health and Safety Executive not signing off on a liquid hydrogen fuelling system at Metrobus' Crawley depot.[10][11] Despite this, a further order for 23 Kite Hydroliner FCEVs is to be delivered in late 2024 for both Fastway and conventional Metrobus services in Surrey.[12]

The GB Kite Hydroliner FCEV has proven most popular in Germany, with export orders for 146 in left-hand drive configuration placed as of April 2024. 60 Hydroliner FCEVs have been ordered by Cologne municipal operator Regionalverkehr Köln [de], Wrightbus' first European order since the bus builder was rescued from bankruptcy, with deliveries of the Hydroliners to take place between 2024 and 2025.[13][14][15] Twelve were ordered by WestVerkehr [de] in October 2023 for service in Geilenkirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia,[16] followed by an order for 28 Hydroliner FCEVs by Saarbahn in February 2024 for service in Saarbrückenl[17][18] and 46 for Cottbus municipal Cottbusverkehr [de].[19]

In May 2022, Wrightbus entered a deal to supply the Australian bodybuilder Volgren with two GB Kite Hydroliner FCEV chassis for the company to body. These two buses are scheduled to enter service with Transdev Queensland for hydrogen fuel-cell trial services in Brisbane.[20][21][22]

Electroliner BEV

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First Leicester Wright GB Kite Electroliner BEV in August 2023

The FirstGroup ordered 173 GB Kite Electroliner BEVs in August 2022 for five of the group's subsidiaries as part of an order which also included 20 StreetDeck Electroliner BEVs. The first buses from an initial order of 68 GB Kite Electroliner BEVs began entering service with First Leicester in May 2023,[23] followed by deliveries of 24 GB Kite Electroliner BEVs to First York beginning in late August 2023,[24] 32 to First West Yorkshire's Bramley depot between January and March 2024 for service in Leeds,[25] and the first of 61 for First Hampshire & Dorset's Portsmouth services from March 2024.[26] Further orders for GB Kite Electroliner BEVs have been made by First Eastern Counties for services in Norwich,[27][28] while 18 more are also due for delivery to First Leicester in 2024.[29][30]

28 GB Kite Electroliner BEVs were delivered for Translink's Foyle Metro operation in Derry in May 2023.[31][32] These buses began entering service in the city in August 2023 after the installation of charging infrastructure and training of staff at the Foyle Metro depot.[33] 21 more GB Kite Electroliner BEVs began to be delivered to Translink from May 2024, with four being delivered for the Foyle Metro operation, 14 being delivered to Ulsterbus for services in Derry, Coleraine and Craigavon,[34][35] and three delivered Metro in Belfast for use on an express service to George Best Belfast City Airport.[36]

The Oxford Bus Company received five GB Kite Electroliner BEVs as part of a 104-vehicle order for zero-emission Wrightbus buses,[37] while Abellio London, the first Transport for London operator to order GB Kites, ordered 12 GB Kite Electroliner BEVs for service on route E7 featuring a redesigned front end to comply with TfL's Bus Safety Standard,[38] with the first of a further 24 delivered to Abellio's successor Transport UK London Bus from May 2024.[39] Arriva London, meanwhile, announced in February 2024 that it had placed orders for 11 GB Kite Electroliner BEVs.[40]

In October 2024, the Go-Ahead Group signed a £500 million three-year deal for Wrightbus to supply of over 1,200 electric buses to its subsidiaries; all apart from 43 of these buses will be from the Electroliner range.[41][42] The first Go-Ahead operator to announce they were receiving vehicles from this deal was Pulhams Coaches, who will take delivery of nine GB Kite Electroliners during 2025.[43]

References

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  1. ^ a b "GB Kite Electroliner BEV". Wrightbus. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b "GB Kite Hydroliner FCEV". Wrightbus. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Wrightbus to launch electric and hydrogen powered GB Kite". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough. 7 September 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Wrightbus presents electric & fuel cell single-decker buses". electrive. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  5. ^ May, Tiana (9 December 2022). "Wrightbus Advances Production of GB Kite Electroliner". Bus-News. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Go-Ahead buys its first zero emission hydrogen buses". Go-Ahead News (Press release). 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  7. ^ "20 Wrightbus hydrogen single-deckers for Metrobus Fastway". routeone. 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  8. ^ Gardner, Andrew (11 April 2023). "Crawley Metrobus begins testing of Wright Hydroliner fleet". The Argus. Brighton. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  9. ^ "Go-Ahead introduces FCEV fleet in Crawley, Horley, Gatwick Airport". routeone. 29 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  10. ^ Williams, Mark (7 March 2024). "HSE delays Fastway hydrogen fleet for two years". Bus & Coach Buyer. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  11. ^ Gardner, Andrew (10 March 2024). "Crawley: Metrobus Fastway delayed by government red tape". The Argus. Brighton. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  12. ^ Williams, Mark (7 October 2024). "Wrightbus HCEVs form £16m spend by Surrey". Bus & Coach Buyer. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  13. ^ Breslin, John (27 May 2022). "Wrightbus to supply German city of Cologne with 60 hydrogen buses". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  14. ^ "Wrightbus: Ballymena firm to supply 60 hydrogen buses to Germany". BBC News. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  15. ^ "Euro hydrogen buses near completion at Wrightbus". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough. 6 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  16. ^ Peat, Chris (20 October 2023). "Wrightbus secures hydrogen bus order from Germany". Bus & Coach Buyer. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  17. ^ Peat, Chris (26 February 2024). "Wrightbus secures 28-strong German order". Bus & Coach Buyer. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  18. ^ Randall, Chris (26 February 2024). "Saarbahn orders 28 hydrogen buses from Wrightbus". electrive. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  19. ^ "Wrightbus to supply 46 Kite Hydroliners to Cottbus in Germany". routeone. 25 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Wrightbus eyes Australian export market with Volgren deal". routeone. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  21. ^ Blackadder, Dessie (11 May 2022). "Australia deal is major boost for Ballymena Wrightbus workers". Ballymena Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  22. ^ "Transdev goes hydrogen with two-bus Volgren-Wrightbus trial". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  23. ^ Williams, Mark (31 May 2023). "Electroliners enter service in Leicester". Bus & Coach Buyer. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  24. ^ "Big switch-on marks major milestone for cleaner, greener transport in York". YorkMix. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  25. ^ "First to complete 57-bus electric rollout in Leeds by end of March". routeone. 5 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  26. ^ "Portsmouth reveals electric fleet". Coach & Bus Week. No. 1619. Peterborough. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  27. ^ Deakin, Tim (31 August 2022). "First Bus orders 193 Wrightbus battery-electrics". routeone. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  28. ^ Deakin, Tim (2 March 2023). "First Bus orders 117 more Wrightbus battery-electrics". routeone. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  29. ^ Halford, Paul (27 March 2023). "LTA partnerships are crucial, says First Bus MD". routeone. Retrieved 27 March 2023. The unveiling of the Wrightbus GB Kite Electroliner single-decker at First Leicester's depot last week was a significant step as 18 more were also put on order to add to the 86 already on their way.
  30. ^ "Wrightbus in new deal to deliver 18 zero emission buses for Leicester". The Irish News. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  31. ^ "Further electric investment announced in Northern Ireland". Buses. Stamford: Key Publishing. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  32. ^ "Translink debuts Foyle Metro battery-electric fleet". routeone. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  33. ^ Deeney, Niall (8 August 2023). "First electric buses in Derry city now on the road, say Translink". Belfast Live. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  34. ^ Welch, Jonathan (4 June 2024). "Electrifying Translink". Coach & Bus Week. No. 1630. Peterborough. pp. 16–20. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  35. ^ Randall, Chris (3 June 2024). "Translink receives first electric buses from Wrightbus in Northern Ireland". electrive. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  36. ^ "Translink adds electric buses to airport route". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough. 15 October 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  37. ^ "Oxford Bus Company to take 104 Wrightbus electrics". routeone. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  38. ^ Lidstone, John G.; et al. (19 April 2023). "In Fleet News this month". Buses. No. 818. Stamford: Key Publishing. Retrieved 22 August 2023. Electric single-deckers on order are 13 Switch Metrocity for route E5 and 12 Wright GB Kite Electroliners for route E7.
  39. ^ "Transport UK London Bus mobilises E6 route with GB Kite fleet". routeone. 29 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  40. ^ "Arriva London orders 87 more battery-electrics from Wrightbus". routeone. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  41. ^ Topham, Gwyn (8 October 2024). "Go-Ahead transport group orders 1,200 'green buses' from Wrightbus". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  42. ^ Deakin, Tim (8 October 2024). "Go-Ahead agrees 1,200 zero-emission bus deal with Wrightbus". routeone. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  43. ^ Halford, Paul (23 October 2024). "Pulhams has 15 electric buses on order from Wrightbus". routeone. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
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