Mellor and Treka Bus see the long-term zero-emission future of their small buses as lying with hydrogen combustion, owner Guido Dumarey has revealed.
Mr Dumarey was speaking at Euro Bus Expo. He bought the two OEMs’ parent company Woodall Nicholsonin late 2023 and has extensive automotive engineering knowledge, including via his other business interests.
In what is thought to be a first among coach and bus manufacturers, Mr Dumarey says he “does not believe” that battery-electric is the correct zero-emission technology for the sector. He cites weight of the energy storage as the reason. Hydrogen fuel cells are “fantastic,” but he adds that their suitability for hot climates is questionable.
On concerns about a small amount of NOx production via hydrogen combustion – which in 2022 led the UK government to rule it out as zero-emission – Mr Dumarey says that can be removed via the use of water injection, an electric turbocharger, and software configuration.
“I will not wait for someone to give me the OK to put a bus on the road with a hydrogen combustion engine,” the industrialist continues. That arrangement would involve a conventional or hybridised driveline, potentially with a flywheel in the former case.
On price and vehicle adaption, Mr Dumarey is clear that in the long-term, a hydrogen engine must not cost more than a comparable diesel and that it will deliver the same lifespan as its predecessor.
Any additional cost and weight would come via hydrogen storage, which he advocates being at 700bar. Plans are for Fiat Ducato, Iveco Daily and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter base vehicles to gain hydrogen engines under his favoured approach.
Tanks would add around 120kg to current vehicle weights. However, the Sprinter-based Mellor Strata (pictured) is being readied for that with what Woodall Nicholson CEO John Randerson says will be “a significant facelift” in 2025.
Work will include a lightweighting exercise to leave the Strata “hydrogen-ready” in updated form. The refresh will include an expanded low-floor area, although the wheelbase will remain the same.
Speaking about the purchase of Woodall Nicholson by Mr Dumarey, Mr Randerson describes it as a “Ctrl+Alt+Delete” moment that has reset the business onto a stable and secure footing. Mellor vehicles are currently not being sold in markets outside the UK, although a return to those will follow when a product strategy is developed.
The vehicle line-up has been trimmed for now, and the Sigma battery-electric bus range has been dropped. That is part of a refocus “on what Mellor and Treka do best,” with Mr Randerson adding that the target segment now is small accessible buses.
“These are bespoke-built vehicles that cater to the needs of people,” he says. “We fit into a niche in the UK market. We understand that our products are not mainstream – but we are not aiming for that.”
