The Northern Irish manufacturer sees its second order from Germany as a vital step to widening its market for hydrogen buses globally
Wrightbus has secured a new order in Europe for its single deck zero-emission hydrogen bus from German-based operator West Verkehr, which has ordered a fleet of 12 Kite Hydroliners after a Europe-wide tender process. The buses will be put into service in the town of Geilenkirchen, near the Dutch border.
Wrightbus sees the order as significant as it continues on a path to break into the global sustainable transport market, and follows a deal signed last year with German operator Regionalverkehr Köln (RVK) to supply up to 60 Kite Hydroliner single-deck buses. The new buses will all be manufactured at Wrightbus’s headquarters in Ballymena.
CEO Jean-Marc Gales said: “We are delighted to be partnering with West Verkehr to put more zero-emission hydrogen buses on the streets of Germany. For Wrightbus, hydrogen represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get ahead in the large-scale manufacturing of a technology that will be in demand across the world. This is another significant deal for us and is further evidence of the leading role we are playing on the global stage in tackling climate change through sustainable transport.
“The introduction of the new Kite Hydroliner will help to prevent even more carbon from being released and it’s fantastic to see West Verkehr taking this vital and progressive step to decarbonise public transport. This order is further recognition of Wrightbus as a leader in the sector, which is hugely gratifying and a testament to the reputation we have built up.”
Managing Director of West Verkehr Udo Winkens added: “With the purchase of the 12 hydrogen-powered vehicles, we are taking an important step towards converting the west’s bus fleet to emission-free drives. We were able to convince ourselves on site that we have found an innovative and powerful partner in Wrightbus.”
