London launches England’s first hydrogen double-deckers

Double-decker buses that only need to be charged for five minutes once a day have launched in London.

Twenty new hydrogen fuel-cell double-decker buses have been unveiled by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London – they’ll run on bus route 7 between East Acton and Oxford Circus, and produce no pollution from their exhausts. 

The buses are smoother and quieter than traditional models, and have free-to-use USB charging points. They join a fleet of more than 500 electric buses already in use across the city – and showcase the potential for hydrogen in cleaning up the transport system.

“We have made real progress in London to clean up our air, but we still have a long way to go because toxic air pollution in our city is still leading to thousands of premature deaths every year and is stunting the growth of children’s lungs,” said Khan. “As part of our world-leading ongoing efforts, I’m proud to announce England’s first hydrogen double-decker buses, which don’t produce any harmful emissions, will now be put into service.”

The buses were manufactured in Northern Ireland by Wrightbus, with the gas cylinders made in Nottingham by Luxfer. The hydrogen for the buses comes from Air Liquide’s plant in Runcorn using waste hydrogen which is a by-product from an industrial plant. From 2023, hydrogen will be produced by electrolysis via a direct connection to an offshore windfarm. The buses only need to be charged once a day for as little as five minutes at a new fuelling station completed by Danish engineering firm Nel Hydrogen.

“At Wrightbus, we're incredibly proud to be launching our world-first zero-emission hydrogen double-deckers onto the streets of London to help turn its iconic red buses green,” said Wrightbus CEO, Buta Atwal. “London residents – and visitors to the capital from around the world – can experience what it's like to ride in a UK-made hydrogen-fuelled vehicle that produces no harmful emissions from its exhaust. Thanks to TfL's visionary approach, the city will have the first fleet of hydrogen double-deckers in England and the benefits to the city in terms of CO2 reduction will be significant.”

The buses have been funded by £6m from Transport for London, as well as more than $5m from European bodies: the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency, and £1m from the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles.