Wrightbus has shared further details of its hydrogen fuel cell-electric coach project that is expected to debut an opening vehicle within the coming 18 months.
Scheduled services will be targeted first, with a high-capacity, maximum-dimension double-decker to launch the range. It will be 15m long and 4.2m high, with Head of Coach Sales Dave Porter noting how the manufacturer will then “build below” those parameters.
The double-decker as introduced will have 69 seats on its upper level and 15 downstairs. Two wheelchair users will be carried, with those passengers boarding via the front door and travelling in dedicated areas on each side behind the front axle.
Flexibility of the lower deck is key to the design brief. Potentially, more than two wheelchair users could be accommodated should a buyer require, Mr Porter adds.
A bulkhead partway along will give 10 cubic metres of floor-level luggage space ahead of the rear axles. From there, the fuel cell, hydrogen storage and CATL batteries will be mounted. Mr Porter says that the bulkhead position could be adjusted to reposition the split between passenger and luggage space.
He notes how Wrightbus has moved the hydrogen coach project ahead significantly in recent months. Computer-generated renderings of the double-deck concept have been prepared and indicate that a striking appearance is being pursued. Internally, a lot of focus has already gone into the cab area and the front staircase immediately behind it.
Work on the hydrogen coach is separate to the diesel-powered Contour model (pictured) that Wrightbus already sells. The former will be an entirely in-house designed product with no involvement from Contour builder King Long.
Wrightbus CEO Jean-Marc Gales tells routeone that a diesel variant of the hydrogen coach is expected to follow during 2027, although hydrogen is the priority. Definition of the in-house diesel direction is not yet completed, and the size and layout of that vehicle could differ to the opening hydrogen double-deck.
Mr Gales points to a need for a 1,000km range on scheduled work, which will be delivered alongside a 10-minute fuelling time, as the reason for hydrogen rather than battery being pursued for zero-emission, but he notes how other business interests of Wrightbus owner Jo Bamford lean heavily on hydrogen production and distribution.
It is expected that chassis construction and body framing of the in-house Wrightbus coaches will be undertaken in Northern Ireland.
Mr Gales adds that with Wrightbus having assumed a strong position in the domestic bus market, the coach field represents scope for further growth. It is not yet decided whether battery-electric will follow in the company’s coach offering.
“This will be the first hydrogen coach in the UK market, and it will work,” continues Mr Gales. While Wrightbus has looked at using liquid hydrogen in the vehicle, its supply has led the builder back to a gaseous energy source. A decision on whether onboard storage will be at 350bar or 700bar is still to be taken.
Mr Porter underlines how the Wrightbus expansion into coaching “is a long-term project,” adding that early feedback from operators on the use of hydrogen to achieve zero-emission recognises that energy source’s benefits in high-utilisation applications.
