Business

Wrightbus invests £5.5m in new zero emission vehicles

Announcing the major £5.5million investment from Wrightbus are Mark Nodder, Wrights Group, and Invest NI CEO Alastair Hamilton. Picture by Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye
Announcing the major £5.5million investment from Wrightbus are Mark Nodder, Wrights Group, and Invest NI CEO Alastair Hamilton. Picture by Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye Announcing the major £5.5million investment from Wrightbus are Mark Nodder, Wrights Group, and Invest NI CEO Alastair Hamilton. Picture by Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye

CO ANTRIM manufacturing giant Wrightbus has announced a £5.5million investment in new zero emission vehicles.

The major investment, supported by £1.4 million of support from Invest NI will go towards the development and manufacture of new eco-efficient buses to be exported to international markets

As part of the investment passengers on Translink’s Airport Express 300 Services to Belfast International Airport will benefit from ten new high specification buses, which are being phased in to replace all the existing vehicles operating on the route - a £2.2million spend.

Mark Nodder, Chairman and CEO of The Wrights Group said the investment marks an "exciting new stage in the future direction of the business".

"Our ambition is to grow as a world class designer and manufacturer of public transport vehicles and in the process evolve into a major international supplier to the worldwide bus market," he said.

“UK, Asian and European Union markets present significant commercial opportunities for the introduction of electric vehicles and we want to be able to offer these prospective customers a complete suite of vehicles with this technology.”

Invest NI CEO Alastair Hamilton added:

“Zero emission vehicle development is now a major area of interest within the transport industry and Wrightbus is at the forefront of this technology. Its progressive R&D and skills projects, supported by Invest NI, will support the company’s export ambitions and ensure it is positioned to compete for the expected increase in global demand for electric vehicles.”