Due for delivery in 2020, these are the world’s first double-deckers powered by hydrogen, and are part funded by EU bodies and the Office of Low Emission Vehicles.
TfL is leading procurement within the JIVE (Joint Initiative for hydrogen Vehicles across Europe) project, which aims to bring down the cost of the vehicles by buying in bulk with other authorities – helping to put the price per bus on a par with the other cleanest fuels.
TfL has a total of 165 zero-emission buses, with a further 68 electric double-deckers due to be in service this summer.
Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, said: “We all have a role to play in cleaning up London’s toxic air and I’ve always said that TfL should lead from the front.
“We are investing a record £85m in cleaning up our bus fleet, and I am proud that London now has the largest zero-emission bus fleet in Europe.”
Hydrogen buses can store more energy on board than electric buses, so can be used on longer routes. Also, refuelling takes five minutes once a day.
Claire Mann, TfL’s director of bus operations, said: “Innovating and using hydrogen means we have flexibility in matching the right fuel with the operational requirements of the network.”