Wright Solar | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Wrightbus |
Production | 2000–2011 |
Assembly | Ballymena, Northern Ireland |
Body and chassis | |
Doors | 1 |
Floor type | Low entry |
Chassis | Scania L94UB Scania K UB |
Related | Wright Solar Fusion |
Powertrain | |
Engine | Scania |
Transmission | ZF Friedrichshafen |
Dimensions | |
Length | 11.95 metres |
Width | 2.50 metres |
Height | 3.00 metres |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Wright Axcess-Floline |
The Wright Solar is a low entry single-decker bus body that was built on Scania L94UB and Scania K UB chassis by Wrightbus between 2000 and 2011. The Wright Solar Fusion is an articulated version.
Most of the buses are fitted with the same design as the Eclipse and the Pulsar. A common design is that it has a one-piece windscreen covering the destination display with an arched top together with the roof. All buses were built with two axles, however a tri-axle variant was offered. [1]
In 2008, in co-operation with Translink, Wrightbus launched the Solar Rural on Scania K-series chassis, designed for use by Ulsterbus on rural bus services across Northern Ireland. [2] [3]
Of the 671 regular Solars produced, Translink purchased 198, [4] Go North East purchased 80 and Trentbarton 92. [5]
The Volvo B9TL is a low-floor double-decker bus built by Volvo from 2002 until 2018. It superseded the Volvo Super Olympian and the Volvo B7TL. The 2-axle version has been superseded by the Volvo B5TL in 2014 and the 3-axle version has been superseded by the Volvo B8L in 2018.
Wrightbus is a Northern Irish bus manufacturer and a pioneer of the low-floor bus. The company was established in 1946 by Robert Wright and was later run by his son William Wright, until it was acquired in 2019 by British businessman Jo Bamford.
The Volvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus chassis which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of the Volvo Olympian. It was built as the British bus operators seemed hesitant to purchase the B7L double decker with a long rear overhang.
The Alexander ALX400 is a 2-axle double-decker bus body built by Walter Alexander Coachbuilders. It was one of the ALX-series bodywork, all of which featured the same designs on the front and rear panels that were originally designed for the new generation of mainly low-floor bus chassis produced since the late 1990s.
The Alexander Dennis Enviro400 is a twin-axle low-floor double-decker bus that was built by the British bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis between 2005 and 2018. It replaced the Alexander ALX400. In 2014, the Enviro400 was succeeded by the updated Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC and production of the classic Enviro400 ceased in 2018.
The VDL DB250 is a twin-axle double-decker bus chassis manufactured by VDL Bus & Coach.
The Wright Eclipse Gemini is a low-floor double-decker bus body that was built by Wrightbus since 2001, based on the single-decker Wright Eclipse design. The second-generation Eclipse Gemini 2 was launched in 2009, followed by the third-generation Gemini 3 in 2013. Additionally, the body was available on Volvo Super Olympian chassis in Hong Kong between 2003 and 2005, marketed as the Wright Explorer.
The Wright Solar Fusion was a type of low floor articulated bus body built on the Scania L94UA chassis by Wrightbus. It was the articulated version of the Wright Solar. Only 11 were produced with Nottingham City Transport purchasing five, Go North East purchasing four and First Manchester and Doig's of Glasgow one each.
Metro is the trading name for bus company Citybus in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a subsidiary of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, within the common management structure of Translink, along with Ulsterbus and Northern Ireland Railways.
The Wright Axcess was a series of two low-entry single-decker bus bodies built on Scania bus chassis by Wrightbus. The Wright Axcess-Ultralow was manufactured Scania L113CRL between 1995 and 1998, later succeeded by the Wright Axcess-Floline on Scania L94UB chassis between 1998 and 2001.
The Wright Renown was a low floor single-decker bus body built on Volvo B10BLE chassis by Wrightbus in Ballymena, Northern Ireland.
The Wright Fusion was a low floor tri-axle articulated single-decker bus body built on the Volvo B10LA chassis by Wrightbus from 1998 until 1999. It was the articulated version of the Wright Liberator.
The Wright Eclipse is a low-floor single-deck bus body that was built by Wrightbus between 1999 and 2019. The second-generation Eclipse 2 was launched in 2008, followed by the third-generation Eclipse 3 in 2015. The Eclipse, and its sister design the Solar, were named for a solar eclipse which was visible in the UK in 1999, the year of its introduction.
The Scania 4-series low floor city bus and coach range was introduced by Scania in 1997 as a successor to the 3-series bus range.
The Optare Olympus is a double-decker bus built by Optare, East Lancs and Darwen. It could be built as a body available on Alexander Dennis Enviro400, Volvo B9TL or Scania N230UD/N270UD chassis with the 2-axle and 3-axle variants. It is the double-decker equivalent of the Optare Esteem. Some 3-axle Olympus buses were built.
Articulated buses, colloquially known as "bendy buses", were rarely used in the United Kingdom compared to other countries, until the turn of the millennium. This was due to a preference for the double-decker bus for use on high capacity routes. In June 2006, there were over 500 articulated buses in the United Kingdom, although they were still heavily outnumbered by double deckers. The majority of this fleet was used in London, although these buses would be withdrawn by end of 2011.
The East Lancs OmniDekka is a double-decker bus built for sale in the UK market, introduced by East Lancashire Coachbuilders in 2003. Originally built on Scania N94UD chassis at Euro 3, and later Scania N230UD and N270UD at Euro 4 and Euro 5, the bodywork consists of a modified East Lancs Myllennium double decker, but with the standard front end cowl and windscreen replaced with that of Scania's own integral OmniCity. Through takeovers of East Lancs, production of the OmniDekka was latterly carried out by the Darwen Group and finally Optare before ceasing in 2011.
The Volvo B5TL is a 2-axle low-floor double decker built by Volvo. It replaced the B9TL as Volvo's Euro 6 2-axle double decker product for the UK and Irish markets.
The Wright StreetDeck is an integral double-decker bus manufactured by Wrightbus since 2014, originally delivered as standard with a Daimler OM934 diesel engine. Hybrid-electric, full-electric and hydrogen-powered variants have subsequently been produced. Production of the StreetDeck range was briefly suspended when Wrightbus entered administration in September 2019.
The Wright GB Kite is a range of full-size zero-emission single-deck buses manufactured by Wrightbus since 2022. Similar in body style to the diesel powered Wright GB Hawk, the GB Kite is an integral design that can be built as a battery electric vehicle, the Electroliner BEV, and as a fuel cell electric vehicle, the Hydroliner FCEV.
Media related to Wright Solar at Wikimedia Commons
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