New Zealand buses to be overhauled with greener electric engines

OREANDA-NEWS. April 22, 2016. New Zealand, considered by many to be a picturesque destination, is about to get even greener thanks in part to Tesla co-founder Ian Wright.

Wright's company, Wrightspeed, is teaming with NZ Bus to retrofit many of the bus company's 1,000-plus vehicles with twin electric motors, batteries and a gas turbine generator, The Guardian reports.

The number of buses that will be overhauled wasn't given, although Wrightspeed says it's a \\$30 million project. The company claims that its electric technology lowers carbon emissions by up to 60 percent.

It's the first example of Wrightspeed retrofitting public transport vehicles, with the company until now being mainly focused on working on trucks and FedEx vans in the US.