The Retrofit a bus to run on electricity and hydrogen improves air quality in urban areas by limiting pollutant emissions. According to a study by Ademe, the retrofit a bus costs barely more than continuing to use a diesel vehicle. The conversion also costs half as much as buying a new vehicle.
GCK Mobility has solid interdisciplinary expertise, enabling our teams to carry out customized retrofits for urban and interurban passenger transport vehicles. The installation of a hybrid electric-hydrogen solution, combined with a braking energy recovery system, allows the original characteristics and performance (payload, speed, range) to be maintained. The positioning and size of the hydrogen tanks are optimized so as not to reduce the luggage compartment space.
This versatile intercity and school transport vehicle offers one of the best value for money in its segment. After conversion to a hydrogen fuel cell, the retrofitted Iveco Crossway NF 150 retains its original functional characteristics and performance (payload, speed, range) while reducing its environmental impact.
The Crossway NF 80 has been retrofitted with our electric-hydrogen system, which gives it power and range. The vehicle retains its original advantages while becoming less polluting.
The Crossway Low Entry from Iveco, retrofitted by GCK Mobility, is a vehicle suitable for both urban and interurban use. It retains its original functional characteristics and performance in terms of maximum speed and maximum permissible gradient.
Starting in January 2025, UGAP—France’s leading public purchasing group—will market its new engine retrofit service offering. This innovative offering will provide conversion services for Iveco Crossway Normal Floor and Low Entry thermal vehicles to hydrogen, thereby addressing environmental challenges and the needs of local authorities in terms of sustainable mobility. It will thus facilitate local authorities’ access to low-emission transport solutions. Thanks to our expertise in hydrogen retrofit of heavy-duty vehicles, we are helping to green existing fleets without compromising on performance, while reducing their carbon footprint. We are therefore offering an economical and sustainable solution for local authorities by supporting them in their energy transition.
In 2021, nearly 5 million passengers were transported in France (+18% compared to 2020), with an average of 300 km traveled per passenger. More than 160 cities in France are served by regular routes, with a total of more than 600 trips per day.
It is estimated that, on average, a coach passenger (with 26 people on board) pollutes three times less than a car passenger (carrying 2.2 people). However, a diesel-powered coach still emits 30 grams of CO2 per passenger per kilometer.
At the last census on January 1, 2020, the coach fleet numbered 69,050 units, 99.4% of which are diesel-powered. In France, more than half of the coaches currently in service were put into circulation more than five years ago and are therefore eligible for retrofitting under French regulations.
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Coach retrofitting
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The Autocars Dominique & B.E. Green Group has chosen GCK to accelerate the greening of its transport fleet with an order for 10 Iveco Crossway coaches retrofitted to run on hydrogen.
The result: a modernized fleet with no loss of seating or storage space, offering a range of 300 km and ultra-fast refueling in 15 minutes.
GCK Mobility is supporting the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region in its ambitious transport decarbonization project with a contract for 50 retrofitted hydrogen coaches: a historic order and a first in Europe. The first 16 vehicles delivered in 2025 are already operating on routes around Lyon, Grenoble, and Annecy, strengthening the regional ecosystem around the first 13 hydrogen stations deployed by HYmpulsion.
Established in Ardèche since 1830, Ginhoux is France’s oldest public passenger transport company. Today, it operates interurban routes for both school transport, carrying 6,000 students daily, and passenger transport. A pioneer in the mobility of tomorrow, the company is continuing its tradition of innovation with this first order of retrofitted hydrogen-powered coaches.
In June 2025, Clermont Auvergne Métropole and the Syndicat Mixte des Transports en Commun (Joint Public Transport Authority) for the Clermont-Ferrand metropolitan area inaugurated the first hydrogen-powered bus line on the T2C network. Alongside Keolis, GCK Mobility delivered seven Iveco Crossway vehicles retrofitted with Symbio hydrogen fuel cells, converted at our factory in Cournon-d’Auvergne. This is a pioneering experiment to promote carbon-free mobility in our regions.
Transdev SUD has placed its trust in GCK Mobility to make its urban fleet in the South Region greener with an order for three Iveco Crossway NF 80 coaches retrofitted to run on hydrogen. Intended for use on the Fos-sur-Mer and Istres lines for the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, these vehicles will enter service at the end of 2025.
This turnkey project includes hydrogen conversion, comprehensive maintenance, and training for Transdev teams in driving and maintenance. It represents a concrete step toward cleaner and more responsible public transportation.
Vienne Condrieu acquired its very first hydrogen-retrofitted coach from GCK Mobility in September 2025.
This new bus, operated by RATP Dev and Les Courriers Rhodaniens – Galéo on the L’va Mobilité network, serves line 134 connecting Condrieu to Givors. This transformation was made possible thanks to the expertise of our teams and the strong commitment of the local community to greening its transportation.
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