Wrightbus unveils new flagship hydrogen double-deck bus
22 February 2025
Zero-emission bus manufacturer Wrightbus unveiled the latest version of its flagship hydrogen double-deck bus. The upgraded Streetdeck Hydroliner Gen 2.0 will be built in its Ballymena factory, where overall production will reach record levels this year.
The new vehicle is more fuel efficient, has a greater range, costs less and can carry more passengers than its predecessor, which was the world’s first hydrogen double deck bus when it launched in 2020. The Next Gen bus is also easier to maintain and service.
Part-funded by the UK government through the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK, the four-year project has seen engineering experts from Wrightbus completely redesign the vehicle from the ground up. A consortium of partners including Grayson Thermal Systems, Queen’s University, Belfast, HYGEN and Translink banded together with the aim of strengthening UK-based manufacturing capabilities to produce this zero-emission technology at scale.
The new bus can be refuelled in just eight minutes and has a range of more than 300 miles, a like-for-like replacement to diesel. Featuring a new fuel-cell from Ballard alongside a highly-efficient electric traction system, the Next Gen Hydroliner also has enhanced accessibility and safety features including a redesigned front end to protect vulnerable road users.
While i am glad that it is more efficient and lower cost than its predecessor, I do not understand the European and Japanese fascination with hydrogen. A much more energy efficient and lower cost option would to be to just use batteries even it had only half the range. Where are you going to go to with a double-deck bus that requires 300 miles of range? And, it is not that you need to refuel in 8 minutes when the use at night is less than during the day so you should be able to schedule at least 4 hours for recharging.
Posted by: sd | 24 February 2025 at 01:02 PM