Wrightbus StreetLite Hill Climb Performance

[test321]

Hi there

Apologies if this is the wrong place, i've read the rules and didnt see anything obvious out of place with this thread.

I am undertaking a small research project and would like to know more about the performance of the StreetLite is anyone can point me to any technical datasheets or specifications?
I have failed to find any such documents online with old documents from Wrightbus not containing any information in relation to a max climb gradient or similar spec. The only information is generic news articles that say "the bus copes well" and a Dailymail article stating that the buses were modified to cope with the harsh hills on the Isle of Arran.

If anyone could find any information in relation to it's hill climb performance it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[carlberry]

Hi there

Apologies if this is the wrong place, i've read the rules and didnt see anything obvious out of place with this thread.

I am undertaking a small research project and would like to know more about the performance of the StreetLite is anyone can point me to any technical datasheets or specifications?
I have failed to find any such documents online with old documents from Wrightbus not containing any information in relation to a max climb gradient or similar spec. The only information is generic news articles that say "the bus copes well" and a Dailymail article stating that the buses were modified to cope with the harsh hills on the Isle of Arran.

If anyone could find any information in relation to it's hill climb performance it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

It's a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question. The StreetLite is available in several lengths, some of which have, in effect a very different chassis (door forward or wheel forward). It's also available with difference seating layouts and different engines, plus some electric options. Wright themselves should be able to tell you the actual power output for each engine and transmission option however to get much more than that would require a proper test on a specific hill as the straight spec would just cover the theoretical output.

I'm sure theres lots on the group that can tell you that they're awful on hills, or good on hills, or 'couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding' however they'll all be subjective comments based on specific operator's vehicles.

 

[deanmachine]

The Mercedes engined ones fly up hills when they can find the right gear, faster than anything short of a coach I've driven. Cummins engined ones, when healthy, aren't bad up hills either, but not as great as the Mercedes ones. The Mercedes 5.1 litre ones do seem to know that you're going up hill, so it seems like they are the ones to look for.

 

[507021]

Based on what I've driven, the Cummins examples aren't too bad when climbing hills but they're certainly nothing special. I think they'd have been better if they'd had the six cylinder engine instead of the four cylinder option the operator chose. I can't speak for the Daimler engined examples because I've never had a drive of one.

The best I've driven for hill climbing is the Mercedes-Benz Citaro, the power delivery on those is excellent in my view.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

As @carlberry says, you'll get a raft of opinions and most of them negative, and performance varies markedly on how the vehicles are set up as well as the engine and drivetrain.

I've been on too many for my own good but performance has varied from awful (a two year old Diamond machine that was in limp mode in the mountains of Redditch) to excellent (a First one climbing out of Portishead).

Engine choice is clearly a factor but just getting the gearboxes set up right is part of the problem; had one from Bristol to Bath a few years ago (via the hilly A431 rather than the main A4) and it didn't know which gear it wanted and so it was up and down like a bride's nightie.

They are used extensively on some quite demanding routes such as the Weymouth to Portland (as @baza585 will have comment on) and Arriva also use them on the 4/X4 from Middlesbrough to Whitby that involves a 25% climb from Sandsend to Lythe just north of Whitby.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Based on what I've driven, the Cummins examples aren't too bad when climbing hills but they're certainly nothing special. I think they'd have been better if they'd had the six cylinder engine instead of the four cylinder option the operator chose. I can't speak for the Daimler engined examples because I've never had a drive of one.

Streetlites have never been offered, nor built with the six cylinder Cummins ISB. I don't really think the engine is the issue 4cyl Enviro200s when set up right can fly up hills and they mechanically are much the same. I suspect had the Streetlite been offered with an Allison gearbox the performance would've been much better but for some bizarre reason the Streetlite is Voith only while the StreetVibe (the narrow body version) is Allison only.

 

[test321]

Thank you very much all for the input.

I see that a lot of you mention you've also driven them which is great to hear. If i could ask, has anyone driven the electric version of it (not including hybrid) or even the electric version of the enviro200 (Enviro200EV)?

 

[507021]

Streetlites have never been offered, nor built with the six cylinder Cummins ISB.

When it was launched, the door forward StreetLite was offered with six cylinder Cummins engine.

If i could ask, has anyone driven the electric version of it (not including hybrid) or even the electric version of the enviro200 (Enviro200EV)?

I've driven the Enviro200EV.

 

[Jordan Adam]

When it was launched, the door forward StreetLite was offered with six cylinder Cummins engine.

Any source? I'm not disputing the claim just curious. At least even if it was offered none were built.

 

[507021]

Any source? I'm not disputing the claim just curious. At least even if it was offered none were built.

Here you go.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Here you go.

Cheers.

 

[test321]

When it was launched, the door forward StreetLite was offered with six cylinder Cummins engine.



I've driven the Enviro200EV.

How was the EV in comparison to the diesel version (assuming you've driven both)?

 

[CN04NRJ]

Streetlites have never been offered, nor built with the six cylinder Cummins ISB. I don't really think the engine is the issue 4cyl Enviro200s when set up right can fly up hills and they mechanically are much the same. I suspect had the Streetlite been offered with an Allison gearbox the performance would've been much better but for some bizarre reason the Streetlite is Voith only while the StreetVibe (the narrow body version) is Allison only.

Agreed on the E200 point - I've driven 5/6 speed Alisons and 3/4 speed Voith E200s and 'good' ones would absolutely fly up hills - especially the 3 speeds. In emissions/limp mode performance was dire and the same hills they'd do 35mph up would be reduced to under 10.

I've only ever traveled on First Streetlites (Cummins and Mercedes), fortunately never driven one, and they seemed significantly slower than any E200 I've driven. Is the Wright body substantially heavier or is it down to them being set for ultra economy as seems First standard?

I dread to think what the Streetdeck is like to drive but at least it's being offered with a 6 cylinder engine now.

 

[507021]

How was the EV in comparison to the diesel version (assuming you've driven both)?

The electric version is more responsive, and the power delivery is far superior. Very good buses to drive.

 

[L401CJF]

I drive streetlites quite often. When they were delivered they were truly awful, very short shifting on the gearbox, lots of whiplashing and red lines with the slightest movement on the pedal. Not to mention the extremely harsh retarders.

In the end the operator got Voith out to them who said the ECU setup Wrights had used was completely wrong for the spec, so changed it to a more suitable one. They no longer whiplash, are much smoother and much quicker. Have to say I prefer them over a lot of the fleet now. They can be sluggish when pulling away up a hill but as soon as the turbo finally kicks in they fly.

Of course when the emission light comes on and they go into limp mode, thats a different story..

EDIT - Should have clarified that the ones I drive are Cummins.

 

[dgl]

They do seem a good bit slower than the Eclipses going up the hill to the top of Portland and up through Rodwell, I have yet to experience one going up Abbotsbury or Chideock hill on the X53/51 but that would be interesting as they are even steeper I believe, certinaly, accordingly to GPS I have had single digits on the Omnidekka's although they would have been pretty tired when I did measure the speed (I fully understand that phone GPS is not always that accurate).

 

[Clentboy7922]

Diamond Bus uses Streetlites around the hills of Dudley and they cope expectionaly well & are a credit to this excellent operator

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Diamond Bus uses Streetlites around the hills of Dudley and they cope expectionaly well & are a credit to this excellent operator

Excellent operator?

 

[ffesti]

Used to drive for First in Sheffield. 3 different batches of Streetlites and 2 batches of streetdecks there.

First batch (14 plate) of Streetlites tend to be sluggish but reasonably smooth (as streetlites go), middle batch (16 plate) Micro-Hybrids were universally terrible. Never found the right gear, retarders try to throw you through the windscreen, sluggish as all hell starting up hill and often tried to short shift before thinking better of it, revving their tits off and slamming back into gear. Latest batch (18 plate) of full hybrids go like the proverbial off a shovel - often possible to outrun a van from traffic lights, much to their indignation! Not smooth but better than the 16 plates.

Similar story with streetdecks. Hybrids much better than the 65 plate conventional busses, although the 65 plates seem to have had some work done recently and now have functional turbos, which is a novelty...

 

[Wyrleybart]

Diamond Bus uses Streetlites around the hills of Dudley and they cope expectionaly well & are a credit to this excellent operator

They also appear in Bloxwich now on the joint service with NXWM. I have seen a 16 plated example in the West Midlands bus livery.

 

[JoshYouWerLAD]

I've driven both Cummins and Mercedes engines ones. Have to say the Mercedes ones were far more superior up hills and also a nicer bus to drive.

 

[SYEclipseUrban]

Used to drive for First in Sheffield. 3 different batches of Streetlites and 2 batches of streetdecks there.

First batch (14 plate) of Streetlites tend to be sluggish but reasonably smooth (as streetlites go), middle batch (16 plate) Micro-Hybrids were universally terrible. Never found the right gear, retarders try to throw you through the windscreen, sluggish as all hell starting up hill and often tried to short shift before thinking better of it, revving their tits off and slamming back into gear. Latest batch (18 plate) of full hybrids go like the proverbial off a shovel - often possible to outrun a van from traffic lights, much to their indignation! Not smooth but better than the 16 plates.

Similar story with streetdecks. Hybrids much better than the 65 plate conventional busses, although the 65 plates seem to have had some work done recently and now have functional turbos, which is a novelty...

After having to use these very often (was all the 135/136 was allocated for a while during the first lockdown), I can confirm the hybrids are miles better than the diesel counterparts.