Go-Ahead Group launch 20 hydrogen buses
A further 34 buses will hit the road in Surrey, UK, over the next 18 months, with a liquid hydrogen refuelling station in Crawley.
The fleet of 20 buses made by Wrightbus are being deployed in the West Sussex area around Gatwick Airport, Crawley and Horley.
Go-Ahead says that the zero-emission buses are able to cover long-ranges and carry heavy loads, which is ideal for intensively-used, local routes around Gatwick - operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The single-decker GB Kite Hydroliner buses are the first hydrogen-powered vehicles in Go-Ahead's fleet of more than 6,000 buses.
Hydrogen will be stored at the Metrobus Crawley depot in liquid form, and be converted to tanks on vehicle roofs.
The refuelling station is owned and operated by the gas company Air Products. When it reaches full capacity, it is reported to be the largest in Europe and able to provide fuel for more than 100 buses a day.
Richard Holden MP, Minister for Roads and Local Transport, says, 'With nearly 3,400 zero-emission buses (ZEBs) funded across the UK since February 2020, this latest fleet puts us well on the way to meeting our target of 4,000 ZEBs.'
