There has been a breakthrough at the Millbrook Proving Ground in the UK, where a Wrightbus Gemini 2 HEV achieved the best results ever recorded for a double-deck vehicle in terms of both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
The test was part of the Wrightbus Product Development team’s collaboration with Queens University Belfast and key component suppliers such as Ford, Valence Technology and Siemens. The hybrid-electric drive system uses an optimised engine from Revolve Technologies.
The bus achieved 10mpg UK – 28l/100km. This was thanks to its special knowledge of the engine EMS system and Revolve engineers using some of the existing vehicle based strategies to carry out functions which would otherwise have required significant software changes.
Paul Turner, Revolve’s technical director of product development, was thrilled with the results noting that engine performance is “significantly improved when compared with normal applications”.
Currently Wrightbus has a number of hybrid vehicles in operation including:
- The original Gemini HEV hybrid double deck in operation with Arriva London.
- Seven Electrocity single deck vehicles in operation with Go Ahead Group’s London Central operation.
- Five Electrocity single deck buses with Travel London.
- Five Gemini 2 HEV entering service with Arriva London.
- One Gemini HEV hybrid double deck with London Central.
- One Gemini HEV under evaluation with Dublin Bus.
