The deal sees Wrightbus more than double its existing funding and underlines its ambitions to become a global mobility leader, with sales from Ballymena to Brisbane.
Rescued from administration in 2019 by entrepreneur Jo Bamford, Wrightbus now employs more than 2,300 people and produces 1,200 buses per year – 95% of which are zero-emissions.
HSBC’s funding features hedging and working capital support. The package supports the long build-cycle of buses, enabling Wrightbus to accelerate production at its factories in Northern Ireland and Malaysia.
The funding will help develop new technologies and broaden the product offering, as well as support the growth of the NewPower and Rightech divisions of the business.
NewPower, launched in June 2024, is Wrightbus’s repowering division, with a growing order book from operators across the UK. Produced at a state-of-the-art factory in Bicester, engineers take existing diesel buses and convert them into electric vehicles. Rightech was launched in January 2025 and offers a suite of ready-to-go battery-electric vehicles.
Wrightbus CEO Jean-Marc Gales said the company had set a bold vision for its future. “This is an important day for everyone connected with Wrightbus – not just the 2,300 employees but the 7,500 jobs we support in the wider supply chain,” he explained.
“Our success is crucial to so many jobs and industries, so we must work relentlessly to keep up this progress.
“This deal is a crucial step as we accelerate our growth and invest in decarbonising public transport with electric and hydrogen-powered buses. Not only does it mean we can provide cleaner and greener vehicles to UK bus operators, it also provides us with foundations for broadening our international reach, with a particular focus on ramping up production in Malaysia as we expand into the Asia Pacific market.”
Wrightbus executive chairman Jo Bamford explained: “With every new order and every entry into a new territory we’re flying the flag for UK manufacturing.
“HSBC UK’s support and detailed knowledge of our industry will help us lead the way in a new era for buses as we expand our offering across the globe.”
Akhil Shah, Relationship Director from HSBC UK, explained: “Wrightbus is a remarkable UK success story. Having been bought out of administration just six years ago, the business has grown from employing around 50 people in 2019 to more than 2,300 today.
"HSBC UK’s end-to-end experience across the public transport sector made us the ideal choice to become the business’s main backer and this new injection of funding puts Wrightbus in prime position to deliver on its ambitious aims.”
