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Wrightbus’ hydrogen narrative helped frame the company’s rebound, but battery-electric bus orders are carrying the commercial scale.
A hydrogen bus fire in Crawley should not be turned into a simple hydrogen-cause story. That would be sloppy, and the investigation needs to run its course. But it is a useful hook for the real transit lesson: a small hydrogen fleet can create a large operational support problem, and … [continued]
Hydrogen buses may look operationally familiar, but the procurement risk sits in the fuel supply, depot infrastructure, maintenance depth, uptime, and long-term cost.
Hydrogen buses are real. They can carry passengers, complete routes, refuel, and operate in public transit fleets. That much has been demonstrated often enough that it is no longer the useful question. The useful question for transit agencies is whether hydrogen is a better procurement choice than battery-electric buses once … [continued]
CEE Bankwatch’s May 2026 report, Hydrogen buses in Poland: Where did it all go wrong?, is useful because it moves the hydrogen bus debate out of the brochure and into the depot. It is not another model of what hydrogen might cost in 2035. It is a record of what … [continued]
ChatGPT generated humorous illustration depicting a "Greenwashing Station," satirically highlighting Halifax's hydrogen bus initiative, complete with attendants spraying green paint onto grey hydrogen tanks
Halifax’s just announced hydrogen-diesel hybrid bus trial is intended to be an ambitious stride forward in the city’s climate action plan and a trial that transit operators globally will gain insights from. Yet, scratching just below the surface reveals a problematic disconnect between optimistic projections and operational realities. The trial, … [continued]
ChatGPT generated landscape image of an impressionistic version of an extended length, two-segment trolley bus in China, evocative of modern technology and power
The humble trolleybus is enjoying an unexpected global revival, quietly returning to the spotlight in the relentless push for sustainable urban transit solutions. Once dismissed as obsolete or nostalgic, the trolley bus — now dramatically transformed by modern In-Motion Charging (IMC) technology — is proving to be a strategic and … [continued]
ChatGPT generated panoramic image of a European hydrogen bus parked in front of a large, under-construction refueling station with red safety barriers
Two more hydrogen bus trial failures crossed my screen this morning, so I thought I’d share. Both are in Europe, but while one is in the capital of the EU, the other is across the Channel in the heart of the United Kingdom’s oil and gas industry. While I’m at … [continued]
ChatGPT generated panoramic image depicting two professionals standing next to a rusting, abandoned hydrogen-powered bus
In recent months I’ve assembled a long, long list of hydrogen bus trials that ended up with the transit agencies realizing what should have been obvious before they started: hydrogen buses are a lot more expensive and battery electric buses are much cheaper and more reliable. More come out of … [continued]
The latest hydrogen bus setback in Germany is no surprise. Essen and Mülheim are now stuck with 19 hydrogen buses that need to travel up to 89 km round trip just to refuel after the state of North Rhine–Westphalia withdrew its subsidy for further fleet conversion. The financial burden has … [continued]
ChatGPT generated create a panoramic image of a modern, sleek electric bus with "Electric" on its display on the streets of Madrid
Electric buses are transforming Europe’s public transportation system faster than many policymakers expected. In 2024, nearly half of all new city buses sold in the European Union were battery-electric, according to a new report from Transport & Environment (T&E). This shift marks a decisive moment in the debate over how … [continued]
ChatGPT generated panoramic image of the metaphor of the Princess and the Pea, but with a hydrogen bus labeled "H2" atop the stack of mattresses
On March 3, 2025, all 25 hydrogen-powered Solaris Urbino 12 Hydrogen buses operated by MPK Poznań were abruptly withdrawn from service. This decision followed onboard diagnostic systems detecting unexpected malfunctions across the entire fleet. The affected buses had been refueled at a public hydrogen station in Poznań, supplied by … [continued]
