London operator Abellio is trialing one of the first Caetano H2 City Gold fuel cell Hydrogen powered buses in right hand drive form, under a pilot project around the streets of the British Capital.

Abellio UK Bus Engineering Director Jon Eardley is quoted as saying that; “There are still a lot of unknowns with hydrogen power. We are not going to learn everything about it within a week. But what we do learn will help to set the scene for the future for us”.

Versions of the new fuel cell bus developed byCaentano and using Toyota technology are being trialed in other European cities, including, Niebüll and Bielefeld in Germany. Unveiled at Busworld 2019, the Caetano Bus H2.City Gold is available in 10.7 or 12 meter version, LHD and RHD variants. Hydrogen tanks and the fuel cell stack are stored on the vehicle’s roof, to optimize the interior space.

Thanks to the fast refueling time, of less than 9 minutes, and the high autonomy of the vehicle, city operations are not compromised. The Caetano H2.City Gold has a range of 400 km on a single refill. A 60 kW Toyota fuel cell is used in this vehicle, which also stands out for its electric motor with a rated power of 180 kW, supplied by Siemens. Axles are by ZF. A small LTO battery is also carried on the vehicle and is equipped with hydrogen leakage sensors in the fuel cell and hydrogen tanks and crash sensors so that in the event of a leak or accident they cut the hydrogen flow out of the tanks. By using a colour-changing tape it is possible to carry out visual checks for possible leaks, the company points out. Like the 100% electric bus, this model can also be fitted with a wide range of other safety features.