Other projects being funded this year include an effort to develop a smaller, less costly and more durable fuel cell power system that will enable commercialization of U.S. fuel cell buses, and an effort to develop and demonstrate a lightweight highly efficient bus that incorporates an improved hybrid-electric drive and enhanced bus design.

ENGADGET: FTA awards $16.6 million in grants for fuel cell bus research

Wrightbus was originally awarded the contract in January 2010 to design a new bus for London.

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Thomas Heatherwick, who created the cauldron in which the Olympic flame burned for the duration of the London Games, helped design the new bus, commissioned by London Mayor Boris Johnson.

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Mark Newton's design is inspired by Preston bus station and will be made from titanium, measuring about 4ft (1.2m) long and 1ft (0.5m) wide.

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Unlike the Pentium III, the EV6 bus has a "source-synchronous" design.

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Officials then ran a design competition to see if a better bus could be invented.

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The design is similar to the classic Routemaster bus which was withdrawn in 2005.

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Mr Johnson, who has long campaigned for a new bus for London, visited Wrightbus last November and described the design as a piece of "world class technology".

BBC: Northern Ireland

At the launch of a competition to design it, I specifically remember it becoming about providing a green, clean bus to try and solve the air pollution crisis in London.

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