Skip to main content

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

  • LVCVA approves Elon Musk's underground people mover
    June 3, 2019
    The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) has approved a contract with Elon Musk’s The Boring Company (TBC) to construct an underground people mover. LVCVA says the $48.675,000 contract will allow TBC to build a people mover that could safely carry passengers in autonomous electric vehicles via a loop of underground express-route tunnels. The underground loop system is expected to offer reduced total costs and less disruption to pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Once complete, the loop is
  • Teleste adds more smart bus stops to Finnish 5G project
    April 26, 2019
    Teleste is deploying two additional Connected Zone bus stops to improve safety and security at the Nokia Bell Labels LuxTurrim5G project in Espoo, Finland. The LuxTurrim5G project seeks to develop and demonstrate a fast 5G network based on smart light poles with integrated antennas, base stations, sensors, screens and other devices. Teleste says its smart bus stop uses video surveillance and 5G to help security personnel respond to incidents. The project is expected to be extended in the summer to inclu
  • Fujitsu: technology set to change UK transport in 2018
    March 15, 2018
    60% of UK transport leaders surveyed believe technology will be crucial to overcoming socioeconomic issues that the country faces today, according to Fujitsu’s Technology in a Transforming Britain report. It found that 31% of organisations will implement robotic process automation over the next 12 months while slightly less plan to invest in artificial intelligence. In addition, 28% will utilise biometrics over this period. The study also revealed that 87% of organisations think technology is driving
  • ITS European Congress – iMobility events
    June 11, 2014
    The ITS European Congress 2014 in Helsinki will see a host of intelligent vehicle demonstrations, including the iMobility Challenge event, eco-driving test-drives and ecoDriver workshop. The iMobility Challenge on 16 June will present test drives and interactive displays of new vehicle technologies to all visitors from 12:00 to 19:00. After the opening ceremony at 14:15, a major highlight of the event will be the participation of Williams Mercedes F1 Driver, Valtteri Bottas, who will take a short driv