Millions spent on hydrogen buses left stuck in depots due to lack of fuel

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1. Councils have spent millions on hydrogen buses so plagued with faults that many vehicles have been left trapped in depots for months at a time.

   Liverpool, Birmingham and Aberdeen Councils are among those that have faced challenges with their hydrogen bus fleets, including high maintenance costs and a lack of fuel supply.

   At least 139 hydrogen buses have been purchased by local authorities for around £500,000 each, as part of trials of the new technology in recent years.

   However, experts told *The i Paper* problems faced by councils which have forced dozens of vehicles off the road, have been “utterly predictable” and urged authorities to focus on electric buses instead.

   Some suggested hydrogen trials had taken place due to industry lobbying, with several councils having received funding from the oil and gas industry to help fund hydrogen buses.

   David Cebon, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cambridge, claimed the trials, which are often supported by taxpayers, are “way too expensive” and “the hydrogen supply is not there”.

   He said: “I’ve got a list of 27 failed hydrogen bus projects around the world and it’s just the same story again and again.”

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