Alexander Dennis offers hydrogen double-deck bus

Bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) has added a hydrogen double-deck bus to its range of low and zero emission models.

The technology has been developed on an Enviro400 double deck bus, engineered by hydrogen fuel cell specialist Arcola Energy.

Alexander Dennis has added a hydrogen double-deck model to its range of low emission vehicles (Picture: Andrew Macintosh)

The hydrogen-powered Enviro400 has an electric driveline with axle-mounted motors. An on-board battery is charged by feeding hydrogen from secure tanks to a fuel cell system where it is converted to electricity.

No external battery charging is required and the vehicle’s only exhaust emission is water vapour, ADL says.

A prototype bus has been through several design iterations to ‘optimise performance and ensure highest standards of regulatory and safety compliance’, the company adds.

Prototype

The prototype model has completed route shadowing trials in several UK cities with operators supporting the route shadowing trials having ‘commented positively on the performance achieved’, according to ADL.

The manufacturer is now taking orders for the vehicles and will be working with cities, bus operators and other stakeholders around the UK to further explore the potential for hydrogen fuel cell buses through fleet trials.

ADL chief executive Colin Robertson said: “ADL continues to support bus operators across the UK by collaborating to develop new technologies that help achieve environmental and operational targets. Hydrogen fuel cell technology is part of the mix of solutions and we are delighted to now offer this option to the industry.”