Zero-emission bus manufacturer Wrightbus has delivered 12 new hydrogen vehicles to German operator WestVerkehr GmbH.
The latest order completion of Kite Hydroliner single decks means there are now 43 hydrogen-powered buses on the streets of Germany – with around 130 due to be on the roads by the end of 2025.
WestVerkehr GmbH is based in the westernmost district of Germany, on the border with the Netherlands, and will operate the Kite Hydroliners between Heinsberg, Hückelhoven, and Erkelenz.
Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Wrightbus, said: “We are delighted that WestVerkehr is bringing our zero-emission hydrogen buses onto the roads of North Rhine-Westphalia. This benefits the environment and ensures that people in the region breathe better air.
“What means just as much to us is the excellent partnership and cooperation with WestVerkehr. I would like to sincerely thank Managing Director Udo Winkens and his team.
“I also want to acknowledge our own excellent engineers and designers in Northern Ireland, the production teams, product development and the sales and service teams. We can all be very proud of the Kite Hydroliner.”
WestVerkehr Managing Director Udo Winkens, who cut a red ribbon to mark the official commissioning of the buses at a launch event this week, said: “By participating in this project, WestVerkehr is underlining its commitment to environmentally friendly, future-oriented mobility. Together with the partners of the H2HS consortium, we are actively driving forward the transformation of local public transport – innovative, emission-free and close to the people.”
District Administrator Stephan Pusch said he was particularly pleased about the commissioning of the vehicles: “The whole world is talking about the energy transition. But we don’t talk about it, we do it. Hydrogen-powered public transport is an important building block in our efforts to act as a globally sustainable municipality.”
Hartmut Höppner, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs added: “The purchase of hydrogen buses offers real added value: they are quieter, more environmentally and climate-friendly and thus contribute to a higher quality of life and environment for people in our cities and villages. The use of new technologies reduces noise levels and pollution. As BMDV, we are therefore happy to support WestVerkehr GmbH’s initiative to switch to alternative drive systems with 3.4 million euros. This is good news for the citizens of the region as well as for climate and environmental protection.”
Wrightbus brought its first buses to mainland Europe in 2024. There are now 31 Kite Hydroliners in operation for Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK). The company has also placed orders for eight additional hydrogen buses by the end of 2025, with the option of more. Deliveries for Saarbahn GmbH (28 Kite Hydroliners), Cottbusverkehr GmbH with Spree-Neiße-Cottbusverkehr GmbH (46 Kite Hydroliners) and Vestische Straßenbahnen GmbH (5 Kite Hydroliners) are also earmarked across 2025.
Wrightbus has also opened a European service centre in Brühl, near Cologne.
“Under the AllServiceOne brand, our team of experts maintains and services all types of buses here in the heart of Europe,” said Jean-Marc. “This includes those from other manufacturers and with different drive types.”
The service centre includes a spare parts warehouse in Brühl. It is the first step on the way to a comprehensive network of service centres on the continent, replicating the network that already exists in the UK.
With its long range of up to 1,000 kilometres, the Kite Hydroliner FCEV is ideal for long journeys. Refuelling takes less than 10 minutes. The single-deck buses can accommodate up to 90 passengers.
The buses for WestVerkehr meet the high requirements of the VDV (Association of German Transport Companies) and the European General Safety Regulation (GSR2).
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