New asset finance company focused on zero emission buses
Wrightbus owner Jo Bamford has launched a new asset finance company focused on funding zero-emission buses. The new company, Fuze, is headed up by Ben Werth, who joins from Mistral Group where he was group sales director.
Fuze is set to operate exclusively within the zero emission PCV sector, and will design, deliver and finance the transition to a zero-emission fleet by offering funding on the vehicles, infrastructure, fuel – either hydrogen or electric, as well as a repair and maintenance package.
Werth says: “Jo and everyone who works at Wrightbus know that government grants alone are not enough for bus operators to meet their own publicly stated zero emission targets.
“There are many moving parts within the transition to net zero. To achieve this a collaborative partnership approach between manufacturers, funders and bus operators is required. FUZE, by being a specialised zero-emission focused asset finance company, is an integral part of this process.
“Working in collaboration with sister companies RYZE hydrogen and Wrightbus we have developed a total cost of ownership model encompassing the infrastructure, vehicle, fuel and R&M fleet maintenance for the duration of the contract and then distilling this down into a single fixed monthly cost. This is available across the entire Wrightbus range of FCEV and BEV buses, single or double deck, over varying lengths of contracts dependent on the operators’ requirements.”
Wrightbus has also announced the appointment of a new managing director, Neil Collins, to run the business alongside executive chairman Jo Bamford and chief executive Buta Atwal.
Wrightbus now has more than 600 employees, up from the 50 that were in post when the business was acquired from administration in 2019.
“Wrightbus isn’t just leading the UK in zero emissions transport, it’s leading the world and truly has global ambitions,” says Collins. “My job is to accelerate sales and growth and ensure we always stay ahead of the competition.”
Collins joins Wrightbus from Austrian firm Rubble Master, where he was Ireland MD. Before that he worked for Dimplex where he was MD for Northern Ireland before becoming manufacturing director for the Dimplex Group’s heating and ventilation division.