2 min read - 23 Jul, 2025
Wrightbus gives first glimpse of 6×2 zero-emission bus
Two years in the making, Wrightbus has unveiled the first glimpse of its 6×2 zero-emission bus – the prototype rolling off the production line simultaneously at its factories in Northern Ireland and Malaysia.
With orders already lined up for the Far East and Europe, the 6×2 Streetdeck is the latest unveiling from the firm in a record-breaking 12 months, during which Wrightbus has already announced a new electric midi-bus range, as well as a next-generation hydrogen coach, a diesel coach, and a hydrogen double-decker.
Efficiency and durability tests will be completed during the summer, with a demonstrator heading out to a customer in Hong Kong for 12 months.
Rescued from administration in 2019, Wrightbus now employs more than 2,300 people and produces 1,200 buses per year – 95% of which are zero-emissions.
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Jean-Marc Gales with the new 6×2 zero-emission prototype / Picture: Wrightbus
Jean-Marc Gales, chief executive of Wrightbus, hailed the 6×2 as a triumph of engineering as the company underlines its ambitions to become a global mobility leader, with sales from Ballymena to Brisbane.
“Our team has worked around the clock for the last two years to create this new zero-emission product. To design a chassis which copes not only with fixed axle and steering axle configurations but also enables increased battery capability without compromising on passenger numbers is a real triumph for our engineers.”
Jean-Marc Gales said there were further widescale sales opportunities in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the UK: “We are building momentum not just in our home territories but overseas as well, as news of our brand reaches all corners of the globe. We are the leading manufacturer in zero-emission technology, and we have more than 100 hydrogen buses heading to Germany, as well as fleets of hydrogen and battery-electrics across the UK.”
The unveiling follows news that Wrightbus has secured a £150m finance package from HSBC UK as it prepares to ramp up production.
“We’ve invested into our growth significantly over the last 12 months, with more staff in Ballymena and Malaysia, new facilities for our repowering business – NewPower – in Bicester, and a European service centre in Brühl to ensure we have operational capacity to exceed customer demand. Wrightbus also supports 7,500 jobs in the wider supply chain so our growth is great for the wider economy too.”
