Wrightbus unveils hydrogen coach demonstrator

Ballymena-based Wrightbus has unveiled a 300kW driveline demonstrator hydrogen fuel cell-electric coach, claimed to be capable of covering around 1,000km on a single tank of fuel.

The vehicle, displayed at the recent Cenex Expo show in the UK, has its driveline fitted to a GB Kite Hydroliner hydrogen fuel cell-electric single-decker bus, to allow the creation of a coach-specific configuration.

Coaches are expected to go further for longer and carry much higher payloads than buses and Wrightbus has worked heavily on creating a new driveline for the vehicle

This coach work is part-funded by an Advanced Propulsion Centre grant awarded to Wrightbus as part of a scheme supporting ‘fast start’ projects. Queens University Belfast and hydrogen mobility specialist Symbio are also involved in the project.

The development stage for work on the hydrogen coach should finish in 2025 with a vehicle expected on the road in 2026.

Jean-Marc Gales, Wrightbus CEO said the vehicle will be a “significant step forward in the road to decarbonising the public transport industry”.