NewPower to debut electric-to-electric repower on Metrodecker EV
Wrightbus business NewPower will carry out its first electric-to-electric repower project with the fitment of new drivelines to 28 Optare Metrodecker EV battery-electric double-decks operated by Metroline.
That will see the buses processed at the NewPower plant in Bicester and replacement of existing axles, powertrains, and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems.
OEM Kreisel batteries will be replaced by energy storage from CATL. The Vehicle Electrical Drive System from Driventic – formerly Voith – will be at the centre of the overhaul, while Grayson will provide the replacement HVAC fitment.
Optare – later Switch Mobility – built the Metrodecker EV with 300kWh of battery capacity, according to a Zero Emission Bus certificate issued by Zemo Partnership in 2023.
Those with Metroline have been plagued with reliability and range problems. 31 were originally supplied to the operator from 2019. It is understood that many have been out of use for several months.
Repower of existing battery-electric buses by NewPower represents a development of its existing efforts on converting mid-life diesel buses to zero-emission, work that so far has predominantly been carried out for First Bus. Another supplier has already repowered a batch of Optare Versa EV buses via the fitment of new drivelines.
Wrightbus Group Managing Director Sales John McLeister says that repower work with Metroline will see “gold standard equipment” installed into the Metrodecker EV fleet “to maximise performance and efficiency.”
Adds CEO Jean-Marc Gales: “This latest deal increases the orders for NewPower to 64 for next year, already above the 50-plus we will have delivered in 2025, and makes NewPower the largest repower specialist in Europe.”
Metroline is one of three London operators to use the Metrodecker EV. Two other customers outside the capital also purchased the model although none have been built since 2021. Closure of the Sherburn-in-Elmet plant that manufactured Optare and Switch Mobility products was announced by owner Ashok Leyland earlier in 2025.
Lincolnshire Callconnect completes 10-strong EVM Cityline delivery
The Lincolnshire Callconnect network has seen a significant fleet upgrade with completion of the delivery of 10 new EVM Cityline low-entry minibuses built on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter base, supplied by EVM UK.
They are working in Grantham, Horncastle, Lincoln, Louth and Spalding and are described by Lincolnshire County Council as representing a major upgrade on vehicles used previously. Each seats 16 passengers.
Access is improved via the low floor area, while amenities such as USB charging points and saloon air-conditioning are further benefits.
Department for Transport grant funding has paid for the vehicles, which are being deployed on the council’s behalf by its operator partners.
Callconnect provides both demand responsive and timetabled services to rural communities in Lincolnshire and neighbouring counties that are not usually accessible by other forms of public transport. It commenced operation in 2001.
Speaking about the new arrivals, Lincolnshire County Council Head of Transport Mike Reed says: “It is a real pleasure to see these vehicles ready to start serving people. Securing funding to invest in new Callconnect buses demonstrates Lincolnshire County Council’s commitment to rural public transport.”
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Falmouth operator OTS sees good results from EVM eCityline mini
Falmouth operator OTS Bus and Coach has reported strong performance from an EVM eCityline battery-electric minibus and notes how the vehicle has built a strong case for further investment into zero-emission vehicles by the independent business.
The eCityline project has been supported by a successful Cornwall Council bid to the second round of the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. On delivery in May, the minibus was Cornwall’s first modern electric bus to enter service.
It is utilised on service 60 in Falmouth, with its duty including a morning school journey. That sees it cover up to 80 miles per day. Route 60 passes through an otherwise pedestrianised are, which gave “a clear case for us to bring an electric vehicle to this service,” says OTS Bus Services Manager Craig George.
Since introduction, the 18-seat EVM eCityline has now covered 10,000 miles. Mr George says it is “a great tool” and notes that the minibus has been unavailable on only two days over that period.
“And on that occasion, EVM could not do enough to help us to get it back out working again. Since then, other than routine inspections, it has not needed anything – it goes out each day and does what we need it to.”
The operator has long experience with diesel Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based minibuses. Mr George adds that route 60 has always operated with those and that a specific size of vehicle is needed.
“We knew the key was to have a low-floor EV bus with good capacity in a small footprint with a high level of compatibility with our existing fleet. This Sprinter is a proven product for us; we know it inside out.
“We also hold the EVM Cityline in very high regard, with internal combustion engine variants serving us very well over the last five years. All those factors made the eCityline an easy choice.”
In addition to the vehicle, OTS has invested in a solar energy project at its depot. That work was part-funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocated through Cornwall Council’s Growth Hub Grants programme.
109 solar panels are installed on one building roof. They power the depot and feed 90kWh of energy storage on site. Mr George notes how as a result, good weather days can allow the operator to fully charge the EVM eCityline from solar generation.
He adds that drivers and passengers like the battery-electric minibus, as do engineers. On further investment in zero-emission, other bus workings cover significantly higher mileage than the eCityline, but the vehicle “has been a great foundation to give us confidence that even as an SME operator, the future of operating electric buses is very bright indeed.”