Ricard, in partnership with Stagecoach North East, has repowered a diesel, double decker bus with a hydrogen gas cell propulsion system. Delivering zero tailpipe emissions, Ricardo is now looking for to safe prospects to put money into the manufacturing of a fleet of passenger automobiles match for the way forward for sustainable shared mobility.
The challenge, half funded by the UK Division of Transport, by means of its Hydrogen Transport Hub Demonstration competitors, noticed Ricardo work with Stagecoach North East to retro-fit hydrogen gas cell expertise into an present double decker bus. It created a zero emissions demonstrator that’s now present process a ten-week check and demonstration program across the Tees Valley and Brighton and Hove.
Suggestions and information from the trials will help the group to discover future market alternatives and functions with bus operators and different companions throughout the UK and past.
Ricardo is looking for to supply the hydrogen gas cell re-powered automobiles at round half the worth of a brand new bus, considerably lowering the upfront funding required while additionally avoiding some 45,000kg of carbon dioxide emissions by extending the lifetime of present buses reasonably than constructing from new. The intention is to safe 50% match funding funding plus buyer dedication for an preliminary manufacturing of 150 buses that may enter service from late 2024.
The UK bus trade immediately helps round 250,000 jobs, in addition to hundreds of others in bus manufacturing and help companies. There are round 38,000 buses in service within the UK, so we’re excited by the alternatives the sort of challenge gives, to work with operators in help of their future environmental methods. The challenge has drawn upon the breadth and depth of Ricardo’s capabilities, from advanced management methods to thermal methods, mechanical design to automobile integration. We are actually capturing studying from the demonstration trials to allow additional refinements to be included inside a future manufacturing resolution and different hydrogen gas cell automobile functions.
—Andrew Ennever, Service Chief for hydrogen gas cells at Ricardo
