Barcelona to debut two hydrogen-powered articulated buses 

Barcelona will debut the two first articulated hydrogen buses in all of Spain next week. 

The vehicles are 18 meters long and have a capacity for more than 100 passengers.  

The buses will circulate mainly on the D20 line, between the Passeig Marítim and the Ernest Lluch steet, crossing the city. 

These buses are part of a fleet of 46 hydrogen vehicles acquired by TMB (Barcelona Metropolitan Transport), which represent 5% of the bus fleet.  

With this addition, 25% of the TMB buses are now zero-emission vehicles, as there are currently 196 electric buses in the Catalan capital. 

"Today we take another step towards innovation and decarbonization. Our commitment on zero emission vehicles is strong," Laia Bonet, the president of TMB, said.  

"We are always attentive to how technology advances, so we can incorporate the latest innovations and improve. The aim is to have 10% of hydrogen buses in a few years," Bonet added. 

The buses have a long-lasting battery which allows the buses to circulate all day without the need for a recharge, they consume less energy and are easier to drive. 

These batteries are also smaller than the ones in electric buses, which means that the vehicles weigh three or four tons. 

Another advantage of hydrogen buses is that they take less time to charge than electric ones – just 15 minutes versus 6 hours. 

"This means that the new vehicles are more autonomous, lighter and easier to drive," Mario Canet, head of Projects and Innovation at TMB, explained.