Bus Ambassador

Bus manufacturer Wrightbus has launched a new re-powering service, replacing older diesel engines in buses with new zero-emission electric powertrains. Wrightbus launches NewPower in Bicester - Wrightbus NewPower, operating from a high-tech factory in Bicester, Oxfordshire, aims to speed up the decarbonisation process by converting older buses to electric at a much lower cost than buying new ones. Wrightbus is the first Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to offer this service, using the skills of its 1,800-strong workforce. This service is being hailed as an affordable way to reduce emissions, especially for bus operators with mid-life fleets who can't afford new zero-emission buses. The conversion process is quick, taking as little as three weeks, with space to work on six buses at once, allowing for up to 500 conversions a year. Wrightbus has a history of innovation, including producing the world’s first hydrogen bus and the iconic London Routemaster. The company plans to expa...

After an £82.5 million deal was finalised, the first buses in a fleet of 159 new battery electric buses are scheduled to arrive in Oxfordshire in September 2023. Alexander Dennis The government's Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) programme awarded £32.8 million to Oxfordshire County Council in March. The project will provide the electric buses and the infrastructure to charge them, together with £6 million from the council and £43.7 million from the bus firms Stagecoach and the Go-Ahead Group, which includes the Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel, and City Sightseeing Oxford. After signing contracts between bus companies and manufacturers and getting the council's approval to trial traffic filters in Oxford, Oxfordshire's ZEBRA scheme is officially a go. This will help reduce bus journey times by up to 10 per cent, giving the city's commuters a smoother ride and shorter trips. Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Manage...

The first-ever electric autonomous bus service in the UK has achieved a significant milestone with the start of trials on public roads in Oxfordshire today, Monday, 23rd January 2023. PA The innovative new bus service, which is fully electric, will serve Milton Park business, science and technology park near Didcot and Abingdon. The revolutionary service will launch fully to the public at the end of the month and improve the way people move both around the park, which is home to 250 companies and 9,000 employees, and the wider Didcot region. Part of the Mi-Link green travel programme, the Milton Park Circular service 1 is being operated by First Bus. The £4.3m project has been funded by a £3m grant from the UK Government alongside a commercial and private sector partnership. The UK Department for Transport's Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) has provided this financial support through Innovate UK, helping drive the project which has been delivered by the consort...