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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 series of zero-emission single-deck buses. They have low-floors. They have been made from 2022 to the present day by Wrightbus.

The GB Kite is made as a fuel cell electric bus called the Hydroliner FCEV,[2] and as a battery electric bus called the Electroliner BEV.[1]

Hydroliner FCEV

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

From 2022 to the present day, Wrightbus make a fuel cell electric bus called the Hydroliner FCEV.[2] It has a low-floor.

Operators

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United Kingdom

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In November 2021, Metrobus ordered 20 Hydroliner FCEVs for use on the Fastway network.[3][4]

Germany

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In 2024, Regionalverkehr Köln [de] ordered 31 Hydroliner FCEVs,[5] In 2025, they ordered 29 more Hydroliner FCEVs.[6]

In 2023, WestVerkehr [de] ordered 12 Hydroliner FCEVs for service in Geilenkirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia.[7]

In 2024, Saarbahn ordered for 28 Hydroliner FCEVs for service in Saarbrücken.[8][9]

In 2024, Cottbusverkehr [de] ordered 46 Hydroliner FCEVs.[10]

Australia

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In May 2022, Body of buses maker Volgren ordered 2 Hydroliner FCEV chassis for the company to body.[11][12][13]

Electroliner BEV

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Metroline Wright GB Kite Electroliner BEV with a different front end in February 2025

From 2022 to the present day, Wrightbus make a battery electric bus called the Electroliner BEV.[1] It has a low-floor.

Operators

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London

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In 2024, Abellio London ordered 12 Electroliner BEVs for service on route E7. These Electroliner BEVs had a different front end to meet TfL's Bus Safety Standard rules,[14]

In 2024, Arriva London, ordered 11 Electroliner BEVs.[15]

In October 2024, the Go-Ahead Group signed a £500 million three-year deal for Wrightbus to make over 1,200 electric buses to its bus companies; most of these buses will be from the Electroliner range.[16][17]

United Kingdom

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First Leicester Wright GB Kite Electroliner BEV in August 2023

In August 2022, First Leicester ordered 68 Electroliner BEVs,[18] In 2024, they ordered 18 more Electroliner BEVs.[19][20]

In August 2023, First York ordered 24 Electroliner BEVs.[21]

In January 2024, First West Yorkshire ordered 32 Electroliner BEVs.[22]

In March 2024, First Hampshire & Dorset ordered 61 Electroliner BEVs.[23]

In 2024, First Eastern Counties ordered Electroliner BEVs.[24][25] while

In 2023, Translink ordered 28 Electroliner BEVs.[26][27]

In 2023, The Oxford Bus Company ordered five Electroliner BEVs.[28]

References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "GB Kite Electroliner BEV". Wrightbus. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "GB Kite Hydroliner FCEV". Wrightbus. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  3. ↑ "Go-Ahead buys its first zero emission hydrogen buses". Go-Ahead News (Press release). 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  4. ↑ "20 Wrightbus hydrogen single-deckers for Metrobus Fastway". routeone. 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  5. ↑ "Wrightbus completes Cologne delivery". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  6. ↑ Breslin, John (27 May 2022). "Wrightbus to supply German city of Cologne with 60 hydrogen buses". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  7. ↑ Peat, Chris (20 October 2023). "Wrightbus secures hydrogen bus order from Germany". Bus & Coach Buyer. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  8. ↑ Peat, Chris (26 February 2024). "Wrightbus secures 28-strong German order". Bus & Coach Buyer. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  9. ↑ Randall, Chris (26 February 2024). "Saarbahn orders 28 hydrogen buses from Wrightbus". electrive. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  10. ↑ "Wrightbus to supply 46 Kite Hydroliners to Cottbus in Germany". routeone. 25 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  11. ↑ "Wrightbus eyes Australian export market with Volgren deal". routeone. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  12. ↑ Blackadder, Dessie (11 May 2022). "Australia deal is major boost for Ballymena Wrightbus workers". Ballymena Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  13. ↑ "Transdev goes hydrogen with two-bus Volgren-Wrightbus trial". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  14. ↑ 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.
  15. ↑ "Arriva London orders 87 more battery-electrics from Wrightbus". routeone. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  16. ↑ Topham, Gwyn (8 October 2024). "Go-Ahead transport group orders 1,200 'green buses' from Wrightbus". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  17. ↑ Deakin, Tim (8 October 2024). "Go-Ahead agrees 1,200 zero-emission bus deal with Wrightbus". routeone. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  18. ↑ Williams, Mark (31 May 2023). "Electroliners enter service in Leicester". Bus & Coach Buyer. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  19. ↑ 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.
  20. ↑ "Wrightbus in new deal to deliver 18 zero emission buses for Leicester". The Irish News. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  21. ↑ "Big switch-on marks major milestone for cleaner, greener transport in York". YorkMix. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  22. ↑ "First to complete 57-bus electric rollout in Leeds by end of March". routeone. 5 March 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  23. ↑ "Portsmouth reveals electric fleet". Coach & Bus Week. No. 1619. Peterborough. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  24. ↑ Deakin, Tim (31 August 2022). "First Bus orders 193 Wrightbus battery-electrics". routeone. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  25. ↑ Deakin, Tim (2 March 2023). "First Bus orders 117 more Wrightbus battery-electrics". routeone. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  26. ↑ "Further electric investment announced in Northern Ireland". Buses. Stamford: Key Publishing. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  27. ↑ "Translink debuts Foyle Metro battery-electric fleet". routeone. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  28. ↑ "Oxford Bus Company to take 104 Wrightbus electrics". routeone. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.

Other websites

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Retrieved from "https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wright_GB_Kite&oldid=10085885"