Electric bus factory opens in Norfolk
Equipmake has opened a brand-new factory in Snetterton, Norfolk, which will design and manufacture its fully-integrated electric bus chassis.
The new 1,500 sqm purpose-built facility on the Snetterton Business Park will allow it to meet global demand for its electric bus chassis, with partnerships with companies in Brazil, Argentina and India in place.
The plant was officially opened by Liz Truss, Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade.
She said: “I am delighted to open Equipmake’s new electric bus factory today. It’s fantastic to see world-leading technology produced here in Norfolk and the fact that these buses are being exported globally further underlines the depth of talent that exists along the A11 technology corridor. Equipmake is a shining example of an innovative engineering company. We are committed to increasing R&D tax credits to support ventures like this. I wish Equipmake every success for the future.”
Ian Foley, nanaging director of Equipmake, said: “I am proud to open this facility and very grateful for the funding we have received from the UK Government through the Advanced Propulsion Centre. It has supported us in the design and development of a highly innovative and in-demand product, showing that a relatively small company from Norfolk can become a global technology leader.
“There is huge demand for clean, affordable electric buses with a worldwide market of around 300,000 vehicles per annum, and that is only growing as cities strive to improve urban air quality. Equipmake’s EBus chassis is efficient and cost-effective; within 8-10 years it will be cheaper to run than a conventional diesel.
“Manufacture of the powertrain will scale dramatically over the next few years and our target is 700 EBus chassis for South America alone in the first year of production. That is why our new bespoke facility here in Snetterton is so important – it is crucial to fulfilling requirements from international customers for both single and double decker applications.”
The EBus chassis development programme is a £7.5 million Advanced Propulsion Centre-funded project that has involved multiple partners lead by Equipmake with grant funding designed to take the bus to production. Equipmake has already entered the final testing phase of its singe decker EBus platform, with UK-based performance and durability development set to finish at the end of the year.
