Department for Transport announces £7 Million funding to convert nearly 500 Buses in England to Green Technology.

Upgraded buses will complete more than a million greener journeys a year helping improve air quality

Nearly 450 buses in England will be fitted with green technology to cut harmful emissions by up to 90%, after the successful bids for around £7 million of Department for Transport (DfT) funding were announced today.

The Clean Bus Technology Fund 2015 is being awarded to 18 local authorities across England to retrofit 439 buses with technology to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions in pollution hotspots. Due to their high mileage and long operational life, introducing greener buses can significantly help air quality in town and city centres. The buses upgraded from this fund will complete more than a million journeys a year.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said:

“Greener buses mean cleaner town and city centres and a healthier environment for everyone. The upgraded buses that will soon hit the roads in England continue our commitment to better air quality by investing in greener transport. By targeting pollution hotspots and backing the low-emission technology of the future, we are making the right long-term decisions to improve people’s lives.”

To win awards, local authorities had to show evidence that the technology would reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by at least 50%. The buses will be fitted with exhaust gas treatment systems called selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and will be back on the roads after their upgrade. As part of the award, councils must continue to monitor the schemes and provide evidence of their effectiveness.

This new fund adds to the £20 million invested by the government in retrofit schemes and is in addition to significant match funding by local authorities and support from bus operators to improve air quality since 2011. This has ensured over 2,000 buses have already been upgraded across England to cut emissions.

The Clean Bus Technology Fund is a core part of the government’s commitment to green transport which has seen £2 billion worth of measures introduced since 2011. Upgrading existing transport is in addition to the government’s £600 million investment in low-emission technology over the next five years, which aims to help make almost every car and van zero emission by 2050.

Hyundai recieves the first batch of Fuel Cell cars in the UK.

• Six Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell vehicles arrive for first UK customers
• Arrival follows £11m government and industry funding to support hydrogen transport
• ix35 Fuel Cell is world’s first series-production Fuel Cell car
• Demonstrates Hyundai’s commitment to sustainable fuel technologies

The first ix35 Fuel Cell customer vehicles have arrived in the UK, continuing Hyundai’s global roll-out of the world’s first series-production hydrogen-fuelled car.

Hyundai is the first car manufacturer to supply these zero-emission vehicles to paying customers in the UK, paving the way for growth of the clean technology, having led its research and development since 1998.  

The arrival of ix35 Fuel Cell vehicles comes just days after Business Minister Matthew Hancock announced £11 million of UK government and industry funding to support hydrogen transport. This continued investment in the sector through 2015 will expand the nationwide hydrogen refuelling station network, boosting consumer confidence and increasing uptake of fuel cell vehicles.

Tony Whitehorn, President and CEO, Hyundai Motor UK, commented: “Making the first UK customer deliveries of hydrogen-powered cars is a huge landmark for the industry. Hyundai is the first company in the world to start series-production of a fuel cell vehicle and is committed to rolling-out this technology in line with government plans to grow the refuelling infrastructure.”

Among the first to enjoy operating the pioneering vehicles on UK roads are organisations including Air Products, ITM Power, Johnson Matthey and Transport for London.

The Deputy Mayor of London for business and enterprise, Kit Malthouse, said: “I firmly believe that hydrogen fuel cell technology will eventually replace the internal combustion engine but we have to show the public the vehicles, let them kick the tyres and demonstrate that it is more than just a science fiction story, it works and can be used in a very similar manner to the cars they are used to. That is why these new vehicles are so important, it is about putting the technology on the street and taking the first steps towards a viable hydrogen future both in London and nationwide.”

Promoting the adoption of fuel cell vehicles in the UK, Hyundai is part of a number of collaborative projects. These include London’s Hydrogen Network Expansion (LHNE), a project backed by Innovate, and Hydrogen For Innovative Vehicles (HyFIVE). Hyundai is also a supplier to HyTEC, which alongside HyFIVE is funded by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU). In addition, Hyundai Motor UK is also a participant in the UKH2 Mobility project that has played a key part in advising government.

With no harmful tailpipe emissions, ix35 Fuel Cell can travel more than 350 miles in real-world driving conditions before refuelling, which is a quick and easy process similar to refuelling a petrol or diesel vehicle.

UK consumers can order ix35 Fuel Cell vehicles today by contacting Hyundai UK directly. Coordinating deliveries worldwide, Hyundai will fulfil new customer deliveries in early 2015.