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Wrightbus unveils two new single-deck fuel-cell- and battery-electric buses

Wrightbus unveiled the new new single-deck GB Kite Hydroliner fuel-cell-powered bus and single-deck GB Kite Electroliner battery-powered bus last week at the Millbrook Proving Ground.

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The GB Kite Hydroliner is powered by a 70 kW or 100 kW Ballard FC Move fuel cell, paired with a 30 kWh or 45 kWh battery system.


The new buses were developed following the award of funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre’s Advanced Route to Market Demonstrator (ARMD) Competition.

The funding from the ARMD competition has been invaluable in allowing us to develop the technology for our two new zero-emission single-decks at considerable pace. The creation of our new single-deck hydrogen and single-deck electric battery buses means Wrightbus is proud to be the only UK manufacturer currently able to offer four zero-emission vehicles to the market—which include the Hydroliner, the first hydrogen double decker bus in the world.

—Jo Bamford, Wrightbus Executive Chairman

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Rendering of the GB Kite Electroliner


The buses are expected to go into production in the first quarter of 2022.

Both GB Kite models can carry 90 passengers. The Hydroliner has a range of up to 640 miles while the Electroliner up to 300 miles on a single charge, the fastest charging version can be charged in just 2.5 hours. Both buses share an 86% parts commonality with their Double-Deck sisters; this delivers significant benefits to operators in terms of reducing complexity and costs for fleet maintenance.

Comments

Davemart

That is a really modest battery pack now needed, and represents a far more efficient use of battery resources than putting twice as much in a long range BEV.

Massively more efficient at reducing pollution than the taxpayer funded purchases of luxury BEVs by the well off current in much of Europe.

sd

It is really hard to tell whether the fuel cell bus or the battery electric bus is more economic to operate as I could not find any information on the cost of the vehicles other than the UK invested 11.2 m pounds in the fuel cell development. It probably depends on the cost of hydrogen and whether the hydrogen is "green". You do not need a 600 mile range for a transit bus. Also, in the US, Proterra claims that their battery electric buses have a total cost of ownership that is lower than that of comparable diesel buses so I would guess that the battery electric is lower in cost to operate than the fuel cell.

sd

@Davemart,

I agree that governments should not be supporting the purchases of luxury BEVs. Personally, I would like to see a carbon tax or at least an increase in the fuel taxes. Anyway in the US, neither Tesla or GM has had any tax rebates for several years. I am not sure about Ford. Nissan has probably used all of their rebates but I am not sure about them. Anyway, GM has lowered the cost of the Bolt (and added standard features) and you can now buy one for $31,000 which is certainly not a luxury car price and only about $3 or 4 K more than a Camry Hybrid. The new Ford Battery Electric F-150 will have a base price under $40K and is not much more than the ICE version.

SJC

whether the hydrogen is "green"
Charging from the grid is not all green

sd

@SJC

You are right. The grid is not all green in most places. However, using the power to make hydrogen just makes things worse as it is less than half as energy efficient to make hydrogen as it is to change a battery. And until we get to a completely CO2 free grid, making hydrogen will generate more CO2.

Lad

Good chance to compare a H2V with a BEV in the same environment; I hope they publish the results, including cost data, so we all have a chance to read it...should be interesting.
@sd:
True unless you are using surplus electricity; then using electrolysis to make H2 and storing it for later use makes sense.

SJC

You can make hydrogen from renewable natural gas and sequester the carbon

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