Bus Vannin is set to acquire five new diesel StreetDeck Ultroliner buses from Northern Ireland-based manufacturer Wrightbus. This comes despite Bus Vannin raising the possibility of using hydrogen to fuel buses in the future.
The new StreetDeck Ultroliner models are reportedly Ultra-Low Emission Bus (ULEB) accredited. This is a new diesel double-deck bus model, powered by six-cylinder diesel engines.
Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Wrightbus, said to Northern Irish media outlets, “The combination of the latest generation of engines from Cummins and the latest technology from Voith, coupled with our industry-leading micro hybrid technology, means the StreetDeck Ultroliner offers optimal efficiency in the diesel market.”
Ian Bates, Director of Bus Vannin, is reported to have said, “The five new buses to our ‘Bus Vannin’ fleet – the first double deck vehicle order placed since the pandemic – see a progressive step forward in a known technology, the internal combustion engine.”
Further, Bates raised the prospect of “possible hydrogen options” to fuel future bus developments in the Isle of Man.