London gets fleet of hydrogen-powered buses
A fleet of hydrogen-powered buses has been bought to operate on London’s streets, it was announced today.
A contract worth almost £10m (€14.2m) was signed for 10 buses, the biggest fleet of its kind in Europe.
The buses will be fully operational by 2010, producing no pollution or carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming.
The announcement follows a trial of hydrogen-powered buses in the English capital.
London’s mayor Ken Livingstone said today: “Hydrogen is a fuel of the future as it improves air quality and does not produce the harmful emissions which are causing catastrophic climate change.
“These ten new hydrogen vehicles will be clean and efficient, providing a smoother, quieter ride for passengers.
“London is now the first city in Europe to commit to a hydrogen bus fleet of this size which will match traditional diesel buses in terms of performance.”
Mr Livingstone said it was an important step towards his target of having 5% of all public sector fleet vehicles powered by hydrogen by 2015.
