• Equipmake awarded contract to repower eight double deck buses for use on school and city bus services throughout the Newport area in South Wales
• Five diesel ADL E400s and three hybrid Volvo B5LHs to be converted from ICE to fully electric with Equipmake’s state-of-the-art Zero Emission Drivetrain technology
• Each B5LH vehicle will have a 218kWh battery system, providing a 90-mile daily range suitable for school routes, while the E400s will be repowered with a 382kWh system, providing a 150-mile range suitable for a combination of school and city routes
• Each conversion will save 90 tonnes of embedded CO₂ in comparison to a newly manufactured electric double deck bus
• First repowered Newport Transport vehicle will enter service in early 2024

More details – Equipmake

Operating throughout the city and surrounding areas of Newport, South Wales, this innovative transport operator is committed to environmentally sustainable local transport, currently operating 49 electric buses and coaches in fleet, further building on this with an Equipmake partnership which will electrify ICE buses for use on school and city routes.

The eight buses scheduled for repowering consist of five diesel ADL E400s and three hybrid Volvo B5LHs with Wrightbus Gemini bodies, and each will be converted to incorporate Equipmake’s cutting-edge, scalable Zero-Emission Drivetrain (ZED) technology, equipped with two 109kWh standard battery packs, offering two battery capacity sizes including 218kWh, providing a 90-mile daily range, and 382 kWh providing a 150-mile daily range.

What people said

Ian Foley, CEO, Equipmake, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Newport Transport, another forward-thinking operator who sees the huge benefits of repowering. It’s rewarding to see that our sustainable solution will be used to reduce emissions on school routes throughout the Newport area. Repowering existing buses offers operators an excellent opportunity to achieve their zero-emission targets, while making significant cost savings in parallel.”

Scott Pearson, Managing Director, Newport Transport, added: “This partnership with Equipmake is an obvious next step for us as we continuously reduce the emissions of our operations. Its state-of-art technology is cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. We are hugely excited to begin the conversion of these eight buses and see them on the roads of the local area. Our school routes are a vital element of our service, transporting hundreds of students each day. These buses will continue to serve an important community purpose, but with the added benefit of doing so emission-free.”

Equipmake repowers are bespoke to each vehicle and its requirements, with service routes simulated to ensure the optimum battery level is selected, and that required mileage is achievable.

By choosing to repower existing buses using Equipmake’s revolutionary technology and methods, significant cost and environmental benefits are achievable. Repurposing an existing bus chassis and body can save 90 tonnes of embedded CO2, in comparison to producing brand new electric double deck buses. Each conversion costs less than half of a new electric bus, and with most buses in service for 14 years or more, operators can make significant savings by repowering a bus halfway through its operational life.

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• Pioneering UK-based electrification company, Equipmake, working with Vertical Aerospace on electric propulsion unit (EPU) for its VX4 eVTOL prototype
• Aircraft successfully conducted its first untethered flight tests this summer, powered by Equipmake’s advanced e-technology
• Equipmake delighted to be supporting Vertical Aerospace on its journey to production through rapid development of prototype vehicles
• Bespoke-designed, developed and manufactured EPU features a lightweight 210kW e-motor and inverter

Equipmake, the UK-based engineering specialist pioneering the development and production of electrification products across the automotive, aerospace, bus, coach, and marine industries, has provided an advanced electric propulsion unit (EPU) for Vertical Aerospace’s prototype eVTOL aircraft.

Recently completing the first-ever full-scale untethered eVTOL flights in the UK, the VX4 prototype features a totally bespoke EPU from Equipmake, combining a lightweight, power dense electric motor with a high-performance inverter, designed, developed and manufactured by Equipmake at its base in Snetterton, UK.

Each motor uses Equipmake’s proprietary rotor design, with the magnets forming a Halbach array to maximise torque and minimise mass to deliver, while the inverter is matched to the motor for optimum power density.

The significant milestone of the first thrustborne flights – meaning the prototype eVTOL aircraft has been held up by the thrust of its vertical propulsion system – allows Vertical Aerospace to to progress on its mission to certify the VX4 by the end of 2026.

The aircraft is being designed to carry a pilot and four passengers and is expected to have a range of up to 100 miles with the ability to cruise at speeds of around 150 miles per hour. The project is the first time Equipmake’s electrification products and expertise have been applied to the rapidly growing eVTOL market, which is estimated to be worth $30.8 Billion globally by 2030¹.

Ian Foley, CEO, Equipmake said: “Congratulations to Vertical Aerospace on achieving this milestone. Through our advanced, lightweight, power dense electric propulsion unit, which combines both our e-motor and inverter technology, we’re delighted to be supporting the company on its journey and are looking forward to further assisting in accelerating prototype vehicle development.” 

Jenny Harcourt, Director of Procurement & Supply Chain, Vertical Aerospace said: “This first untethered flight of the VX4 marks a significant milestone for us and I’m delighted we have the support and expertise of Ian Foley and his team at Equipmake, who have provided us with an advanced, lightweight, electrical propulsion unit which has played an absolutely critical role in this achievement.”

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Quick Highlights

• Leading electrification specialist showcases Ampere-220 e-axle, bringing a
  step-change in off-the-shelf electric drive performance
• Features a super-lightweight, advanced 3D-printed electric motor, Ampere, weighing less than 20kg and producing up to 220kW
• Combining a silicon carbide inverter, all power electronics, and a transmission system in one compact unit, Ampere-220 e-axle directly powers the vehicle’s axle
• Aimed at makers of electric sports cars and supercars, the system is debuted in twin-motor specification offering up to 440kW per axle
• Complying with ISO 26262 and ASIL-D ready, Ampere-220 e-axle offers a
  cost-effective, off-the-shelf e-axle solution for high-performance EV applications
• Engineered and manufactured in the UK at Equipmake’s Snetterton facility, the technology is born out of Equipmake’s experience in F1 and top-level motorsport
• Equipmake is exhibiting the system at Battery Show Europe, Stuttgart, from 23-25 May, appearing on the Advanced Propulsion Centre’s Made In Britain stand

More Equipmake articles can be FOUND HERE

Battery Show Europe

Held between 23-25 May 2023 at Messe Stuttgart, in Germany, the event is Europe’s largest trade fair and conference for advanced battery manufacturing and technology, and will see Equipmake showcase its Ampere-220 e-axle system.

Combining one of the most advanced 3D-printed electric motors in the world with all power electronics, including the company’s own silicon carbide inverter, and an integrated transmission system in a compact unit that directly powers the vehicle’s axle, Ampere-220 e-axle brings a step change in off-the-shelf performance for electric sports cars and supercars.

At its heart, the e-axle features the Ampere electric motor, which draws on both Equipmake’s world-leading expertise in electric motors – featuring a spoke rotor design which has recently also featured in the Ariel HIPERCAR in the form of Equipmake’s APM motor – and pioneering knowledge in additive manufacturing and thermal engineering.

Extremely lightweight yet efficient and cost-effective, Ampere has peak power of 220kW and a maximum motor speed of 30,000rpm. Weighing just under 20kg, it offers power density of 11kW per kg – more than twice that of a conventional electric motor. The key to its performance is its combination of Equipmake’s spoke design with additive manufacturing, allowing Ampere’s metal structure to be 3D-printed, rather than milled from a solid billet.

Bringing many advantages, firstly, metal is only put where it is needed. Secondly, thermally efficient thin walls and optimised fine surface details are combined directly with the motor’s structure, replacing multi-part assemblies with a single, complex architecture that has exceptional cooling ability, is lightweight, has low inertia and allows for greatly increased rotational speed.

Equipmake advanced electric motor

The advanced electric motor is combined with all necessary power electronics, including Equipmake’s high-performance silicon carbide-based inverter, and an integrated transmission system too, resulting in a state-of-the-art, highly compact and lightweight electric drive system, ready to be integrated into a high-performance electric vehicle.

Debuted in twin-motor specification, Ampere-220 e-axle offers 440kW peak power per axle with a total unit weight of just 85kg. Equipmake can also develop a single-motor e-axle application with 220kW of peak power per axle.

The Ampere-220 e-axle is designed, engineered, and manufactured at Equipmake’s headquarters in Snetterton, Norfolk, where the company provides the complete electric vehicle solution, offering everything from motors to fully electrified platforms, supporting primarily the automotive and aerospace sectors. On site, it designs and manufactures its fully integrated electric bus chassis for an increasingly international customer base.

Ian Foley, Equipmake CEO, said: “Equipmake has always been at the forefront of innovation in electric motors, with our APM range offering class-leading power densities thanks to their compact, lightweight designs. Ampere showcases the next-gen of motor technology. Combined with our own power electronics, including our silicon carbide inverter, and transmission system, we have created the Ampere-220 e-axle.

 “With such a huge amount of performance in a compact, light unit, one that is also ISO 26262-compliant and ASIL-D ready, it provides the total off-the-shelf solution for manufacturers of electric sports cars, further underlining Equipmake’s position as a leading provider of state-of-the-art electrification systems to the automotive industry.”

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