Saint-Fons, France and Ballymena, Northern Ireland, UK – September 4, 2024 – Symbio, a leading hydrogen fuel cell system provider, and Wrightbus, a zero-emission bus manufacturer, unveiled a 300 kW hydrogen fuel cell demonstrator coach at Cenex Expo 2024 today. The UK’s Department for Business and Trade match-funded the project through the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC). It aims to pave the way for hydrogen public transportation beyond city buses.
Symbio and Wrightbus Develop Zero-Emission Hydrogen Coach
The partnership between Symbio and Wrightbus began in January 2024. Symbio delivered four 75 kW StackPack™ fuel cell systems to Wrightbus. Wrightbus integrated these systems to form a powerful 300 kW unit. They then tested the unit in one of their single-decker buses. The successful tests allowed the teams to optimize the vehicle’s powertrain settings.
Cenex Expo will display the demonstrator coach for the first time starting September 4. The coach is set to hit the road shortly. This achievement sets the foundation for future development of hydrogen-powered city buses. Symbio’s 75 kW StackPack™ fuel cell systems will equip these buses.
Compact and Efficient Hydrogen Fuel Cell Systems
Symbio’s StackPack™ 75 systems provide several advantages for bus and coach applications:
- They have 40% higher power density and are 20% lighter than current market fuel cell references
- They boast a total system efficiency of 53%, making them among the most hydrogen-efficient
- Their flexible control strategy allows vehicles to run for two consecutive days without refueling
- They require 30% lower cooling compared to average fuel cell systems
Combining multiple StackPack™ 75 systems can create more powerful systems up to 300 kW. This meets the highest customer expectations for efficiency and performance.
Hydrogen: A Competitive Zero-Emission Solution for Public Transportation
Hydrogen fuel cell technology suits public transportation decarbonization well. It offers long range, higher payload, fast refueling, and a reduced total cost of ownership. Experts expect the total cost of ownership for hydrogen fuel cell buses and coaches to reach parity with battery-electric alternatives by 2030.
Ian Constance, APC UK CEO, emphasized the significance of this fuel cell-powered coach in commercializing the technology. Philippe Rosier, Symbio CEO, highlighted the company’s role in providing customized, ready-to-deploy zero-emission hydrogen solutions for decarbonizing bus and coach fleets. Jean-Marc Gales, Wrightbus CEO, pointed out the need to tackle coach decarbonization. He also mentioned the demonstrator’s ability to cover 1,000 km on a single refueling.
Growing Demand for Electric Vehicles
As governments intensify their efforts to decarbonize the global economy, the demand for electric vehicles grows. This includes fuel cell-equipped (FCEV) and hybrid (FHEV) vehicles. The Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) projects that fuel cell heavy-goods vehicles (FCHGV) and fuel cell bus (FCB) production will reach 25% of powertrain shares by 2035. The expected maturity of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells drives this growth.growth is driven by the expected maturity of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells.
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