Wrightbus has incorporated Wheely-Safe technology into the prototype of its ground-breaking StreetDeck Electroliner.
The recently unveiled Electroliner is Wrightbus’ first-ever EV (electric vehicle) and the fastest charging double deck EV on the market.
To maximise wheel and tyre safety, the bus is fitted with Wheely-Safe’s latest generation intelligent tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), wheel loss and brake temperature sensors – with alerts being displayed directly on the dashboard binnacle, rather than the standard in-cab receiver, for the first time.
Steve Jackson, Managing Director at Wheely-Safe, says: “For OEM fitment, it was always our ambition to have the driver alerts displayed via the dash. Wrightbus is the first OEM to make this happen which is a major step forward for our technology.
“Lots of our customers have been asking for this solution and it’s great to see it work so effectively on the StreetDeck Electroliner. We hope to see more OEMs follow Wrightbus’ lead in the future.”
Wrightbus first became aware of the Wheely-Safe technology when it was originally launched back at the Hanover Show in 2018.
Dr Robert Best, Director of Engineering at Wrightbus, says: “Right from the outset, we were impressed with the potential of the system. As far as we know it is the only technology that can detect the onset of wheel loss while the vehicle is in motion. It’s a very clever piece of kit.
“We want all our vehicles to be as safe as possible and this technology can only help that. It was very straightforward to fit and integrate the alerts into the dashboard. We will be offering it to customers as an optional extra on all new buses going forwards.”
The prototype StreetDeck Electroliner will be used as a demonstrator vehicle for operators around the world.
Utilising a French battery pack which delivers 454kW and a 200-mile range, the Electroliner can recharge in 2 hours 45 minutes and is designed to cope with all routes, whether urban or rural. The batteries are efficiently stored around the bus to ensure passenger capacity and comfort is not compromised.
Founded in 1946 and based in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, Wrightbus has been at the forefront of public transport for 75 years.
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Notes to editor:
Wheely-Safe Ltd is a technology start-up founded in 2010 by two lifelong friends – Gary Thomas, a Director of his own transport compliance consultancy, and Gary Broadfield, a Director of Technology and serial inventor for a large Japanese electronics manufacturer. Together they brought the marriage of skills required to help solve wheel loss issues in the automotive sector, and to tackle the huge number of vehicles driving every day on under-inflated tyres. The early years of Wheely-Safe concentrated on attaining worldwide patent protection and technology small enough to fit near the wheels of all vehicle types, from cars and vans to trucks and trailers – with its first products launched into the market during 2018. www.wheely-safe.com
For further press information please contact:
Dan Jones or James Keeler at Garnett Keeler PR on 020 8647 4467 or by email to dan.jones@garnettkeeler.com / james.keeler@garnettkeeler.com
To access Wheely-Safe’s online newsroom please visit https://gk.news/wheelysafe
WS/077/21
