Aberdeen's Hydrogen Buses Get Second Life as Electric

When Aberdeen spent $13.9 million on 25 hydrogen-powered double-decker buses in 2021, city leaders hoped they were investing in the future of clean transportation. Five years later, those same buses just sold for $30,000 each, just over 5% of their original cost.

But here's the twist: that dramatic price drop might actually be good news.

First Bus purchased 23 of the barely-used Wrightbus StreetDeck Hydroliners with plans to convert them to battery-electric buses. The vehicles only ran for three and a half years before hydrogen supply problems forced them off the road, making them essentially brand-new buses with outdated drivetrains.

The sale price reflects hard reality. Aberdeen approached multiple buyers and received offers ranging from free to just $1 per vehicle. First Bus's $30,000 bid wasn't lowball negotiating. It was the actual market value for specialized vehicles whose fuel-cell technology didn't pan out.

First Bus brings the perfect combination of knowledge and infrastructure to make this rescue mission work. The company already operated these exact buses when they ran on hydrogen, so they know the vehicles inside and out. They've also invested $12.7 million in electric buses for Aberdeen, including 24 new battery-electric double-deckers and 12 buses converted from diesel to electric.

Converting hydrogen buses to battery power isn't simple. It requires removing fuel cells and hydrogen storage, installing several hundred kilowatt-hours of batteries, managing weight distribution, and completely recertifying the vehicles. But First Bus already has charging infrastructure at its King Street depot and experience with bus conversions through earlier pilot programs.

The company hasn't committed to converting all 23 buses yet. Seven transfers happen by March 2027, with 16 more coming during the following year. First Bus is developing conversion plans without announcing final costs or timelines, which makes business sense. At $30,000 per vehicle, they bought cheap donor buses. Whether to invest serious money converting them is a separate decision they can make once they see what's actually possible.

The Bright Side

This story shows how failed experiments can still produce valuable outcomes. Aberdeen absorbed the financial loss from betting on hydrogen technology that wasn't ready for prime time. But that loss created an opportunity for First Bus to acquire nearly-new bus bodies and chassis at bargain prices, with enough financial headroom to attempt conversions that would never pencil out at normal used-bus prices.

If the conversions succeed, other cities with stranded hydrogen buses could follow the same path. If they don't work economically, First Bus risked relatively little finding out. Either way, buses that might have ended up in scrapyards could get years of useful service reducing emissions on Scottish roads.

Sometimes the best path forward starts with admitting what didn't work and finding creative ways to salvage what can.