Hydrogen repower21 September 2022

Engineering consultancy Ricardo, in partnership with Stagecoach North East, has repowered a diesel double-decker bus with a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system.

The project, part funded by the Department for Transport, through its Hydrogen Transport Hub Demonstration competition, saw Ricardo, working with Stagecoach North East, create a zero emissions demonstrator that is now undergoing a ten-week test and demonstration programme around the Tees Valley and Brighton and Hove. Feedback and data from the trials will support the team to explore future market opportunities and applications with bus operators and other partners across the UK and beyond.

Ricardo is seeking to offer the hydrogen fuel cell repowered vehicles at around half the price of a new bus. The aim is to secure 50% match funding investment plus customer commitment for an initial production of 150 buses that can enter service from late 2024.

Andrew Ennever, service leader for hydrogen fuel cells at Ricardo, said: “There are around 38,000 buses in service in the UK, so we’re excited by the opportunities this type of project provides, to work with operators in support of their future environmental strategies. The project has drawn upon the breadth and depth of Ricardo’s capabilities, from complex control systems to thermal systems, mechanical design to vehicle integration. We are now capturing learning from the demonstration trials to enable further refinements to be included within a future production solution and alternative hydrogen fuel cell vehicle applications.”

Author
Transport Engineer

Related Companies
Ricardo

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