Wrightbus has secured an additional order in Germany to supply 46 hydrogen buses to Cottbusverkehr GmbH in the city of Cottbus.
This order follows an announcement by the German government to implement a 350 million EUR scheme to support the production of renewable hydrogen.
Cottbus is the second largest city in the state of Brandenburg and in the western part of the district of Spree-Neiße. The 46 Kite Hydroliner vehicles ordered by Cottbusverkehr GmbH will be the operator’s first hydrogen buses to operate in and around the city.
Ralf Thalmann, CEO of Cottbusverkehr, said:Cottbusverkehr will run 11 Kite Hydroliners for city traffic in and around Cottbus. We will take an additional 35 hydrogen buses and gradually use them for local transport in the Spree-Neisse region in 2025.
This is a big step in Lusatia towards climate-neutral local public transport. We look forward to working with Wrightbus. With its offer, the company has shown its commitment and willingness to offer suitable solutions.
This recent order follows Wrightbus’ initial deals in Germany with West Verkehr, Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK), and Saarbahn GmbH. The manufacturer states it also has additional European orders in the pipeline.
The ordered buses are compliant with VDV (Association of German Transport Companies) regulations. They also meet the requirements of the European General Safety Regulation GSR2.
Wrightbus Chief Executive Jean-Marc Gales said:We are delighted to be working with the city of Cottbus on this incredibly important initiative. Hydrogen has a key role to play in moving away from fossil fuels to decarbonise energy and provide cleaner air for all. This is especially true in public transport and we are proud that our buses will be on the streets providing and clean and comfortable service for the people of this region.
This is one of our largest orders in Germany to date and we look forward to our ongoing relationship.
The first of these newly ordered buses are due to be delivered at the end of 2024.
