Wrightbus showcases fuel cell electric bus in the UK

Wrightbus says its double deck bus uses fuel cell technology to deliver zero emissions while in operation. The StreetDeck fuel cell electric vehicle was displayed at the UK’s Euro Bus Expo 2018 in Birmingham. Fuel cell technology mixes hydrogen and compressed air (oxygen) in a chemical process to generate electric power to drive. The company says the vehicle comes with an extended storage option which increases its range from 200 to 265 miles. Also, the bus can be refuelled in seven minutes. Stre
November 7, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
6616 Wrightbus says its double deck bus uses fuel cell technology to deliver zero emissions while in operation. The StreetDeck fuel cell electric vehicle was displayed at the UK’s Euro Bus Expo 2018 in Birmingham.


Fuel cell technology mixes hydrogen and compressed air (oxygen) in a chemical process to generate electric power to drive.

The company says the vehicle comes with an extended storage option which increases its range from 200 to 265 miles. Also, the bus can be refuelled in seven minutes.

StreetDeck operates on a Ballard FCveloCity fuel cell, a 189 Siemens drivetrain and a 48 kW traction battery pack. It can carry 64 seated passengers and 21 standing.

Also, the bus comes with lightweight hydrogen storage tanks and an automatic battery management system which monitors and balances the stored power while in operation.

Earlier this year, Wrightbus was chosen as the supplier of double deck buses in the UK for the Joint Initiative for Hydrogen Vehicles in Europe (JIVE).

The JIVE initiative’s stated ambition is to promote the development of fuel cell technology in buses throughout Europe. The scheme is supported by grants from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking – a public-private partnership which supports research and development of the technology.

In the UK, up to 50 fuel cell powered buses have been operating in Birmingham, Aberdeen and London. In addition, the scope of the project includes the deployment of 139 vehicles across nine locations in Europe.

In %$Linker: 2 Internal <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 4 35082 0 link-external May false /sections/general/news/ballard-to-deploy-40-fuel-cell-modules-to-power-buses-in-germany/ false false%>, Ballard Power Systems deployed 40 FCveloCity-HD fuel cell modules to power buses under JIVE. The delivery was part of an agreement with bus manufacturer bus manufacturer Van Hool in Belgium.

Van Hool plans to deploy 30 buses in Germany with the Regionalverkehr Köln transit agency in Cologne, and the remaining ten buses with WSW Mobil in Wuppertal.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Peek announces announces next-generation Spinnaker ATMS
    September 8, 2014
    Peek Traffic has announced its next-generation Spinnaker advanced traffic management system (ATMS) that the company says handles considerably more than standard ATMS duties.
    Read More
  • ACE makes recommendations to government on UK road funding
    January 25, 2018
    The UK Government must introduce dynamic road user charging in the UK over the long-term; with initial steps to be taken now and a suggested start date of 2030, according to a new report from ACE. Called ‘Funding roads for the future: Creating a more productive and sustainable road network in England’ it presented a series of recommendations on how to improve road network funding and how revenue from associated taxes can be sustained for future needs.
    Read More
  • VTC 1010 from Nexcom improves vehicle connectivity
    March 25, 2014
    The VTC 1010 in-vehicle computer from Nexcom provides a connected vehicle solutions for fleet management applications. Based on Intel Atom E3815 or E3827 processors, it offers a wide operating temperature range (-30 to +7C), dual WWAN and SIM, built-in GPS with optional dead reckoning, intelligent vehicle power management and four mini-PCIe expansions.
    Read More
  • Limebike launches Electric Assist Bikes
    January 9, 2018
    Smart bikeshare provider LimeBike has integrated electric assist bikes into its fleet with the intention of providing the public with a quick and more affordable solution than driving or using traditional ride-sharing services. They will be available in existing markets in Seattle, Miami, Scottsdale, Southern California and greater San Francisco bay area from January 2018. Called Lime-E, the bikes cost $1 (73p) to unlock and an additional $1 (73p) for every ten minutes of riding time with a maximum speed
    Read More

Highlighted Content