Wrightbus lands German deal for up to 60 hydrogen buses

Leading UK bus manufacturer Wrightbus has announced a second international zero-emission bus deal in a fortnight that will see it ship dozens of clean buses to Europe.

Wrightbus has signed a deal with German Bus operator Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK) to supply up to 60 Kite Hydroliner single deck buses over the next two years. The buses will be the first integral left-hand drive vehicles that Wrightbus has made and exported since green entrepreneur Jo Bamford bought the firm out of administration in 2019.

All of the buses will be fully built at the Wrightbus factory in Ballymena, supporting green jobs and the wider Northern Ireland economy.

RVK, which operates bus services in Cologne, already has the largest fleet of hydrogen Fuel Cell EV buses in Europe.

The RVK order comes hot on the heels of a landmark deal with Australian bus body builder Volgren to supply hydrogen power trains that could open up a significant export market in the country.

Wrightbus Executive Chairman, Jo Bamford, said he was pleased to be announcing the RVK order.

“This deal is a significant one for us in many ways. Not only is it our first European order since I took over, but it’s also our second international deal in quick succession and it shows that Wrightbus has a huge part to play on the global stage.

“RVK already has a substantial hydrogen fleet so for them to order from Wrightbus and recognise us as a leader in the sector is hugely gratifying and a testament to the reputation we’ve built up in the zero-emission sector. The recent appointment of our dedicated European Chief Commercial Officer Jean-Luc Deflandre highlights our desire to grow in the market, and we’re hoping this order marks the start of the roll out of many left-hand drive zero-emission buses in cities across Europe and beyond in the coming years.”

Mr Bamford said that the deal was another boost for manufacturing in Northern Ireland.

“All of the RVK buses will be built in Ballymena, lending further support to the wider regional economy and allowing us to create green jobs as we continue in our growth,” he added.

The first vehicles will be delivered to RVK in 2023, with the remainder due in 2024.

RVK has extensive experience in running hydrogen buses since first introducing them to its fleet in 2011. It currently has 52 hydrogen buses of varying types as part of its fleet.

RVK Managing Director, Dr. Marcel Frank, said he was excited to be working with Wrightbus.

“We have currently received federal funding to expand our hydrogen bus fleet by 2025. The

combination of the most economical offer with a robust service concept is the reason why we

placed the order with Wrightbus.“

Since first entering passenger service in 2020, StreetDeck Hydroliners have clocked up more than a million miles, preventing 1,700 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere on those bus journeys. No harmful emissions are emitted from the vehicles, with water vapour being the only emission.

Rescued from administration by green entrepreneur Jo Bamford in October 2019, Wrightbus has since gone from strength to strength, taking staff numbers from 56 to more than 900. and doubling output at its Ballymena-based HQ. With zero-emission vehicles making up 70 per cent of production this year, it is truly leading the way in green transport.