Having had its premiere in June this year at the Global Public Transport Summit UITP in Stockholm, the Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen has been tested by carriers in Austria and Italy over the past few weeks. Now, operators from Germany will take a closer look at it.
The latest Solaris bus has met with huge interest among potential customers, as evidenced by the demand for bus tests that are under way in several European cities. In August, the Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen was presented first in Austria, in Graz and Klagenfurt and then went on to the Italian city of Bolzano. Over the next weeks the vehicle will make it to Germany, to public transport operators in Frankfurt, Cologne and Wuppertal.
During the UITP Summit in June, right after the unveiling of the vehicle, representatives of Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP) and Solaris signed a contract for the lease and tests of the hydrogen bus. In 2020, the carrier in charge of management of public transport in Paris will be testing the bus in regular passenger traffic over a period of a few weeks.
The Urbino 12 hydrogen has also got its first buyer. The carrier SASA Bolzano in Italy ordered at the end of May 12 units of the bus, with the delivery planned for the end of 2021.
Many European cities strive to make their municipal transport more environmentally friendly. Solaris embraces customer expectations, adding hydrogen-fuelled buses to its low and zero-emission vehicle portfolio. The sole “by-products” generated during the operation of the Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen are heat and steam, which renders this vehicle one of the most ecological one available on the market.
The Urbino 12 hydrogen is fitted with a cutting-edge fuel cell that acts as a miniature hydrogen power plant on board of the vehicle. Thanks to the use of advanced technology, the bus will be capable of covering up to 350 km on a single refill. In a hydrogen fuel cell, electric power is generated in the process of reverse electrolysis and then transferred directly to the driveline.
Information Solaris
Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o. is one of the leading producers of city and intercity buses in Europe. It focuses in particular on the development of zero-emission vehicles, i. e. electric and hydrogen buses as well as trolleybuses. This has resulted in the widest zero-emission product range in the European market and a leading position in this segment with a market share of 15.2%. Nearly 25,000 Solaris vehicles have been delivered so far and they ply the streets in 850 towns and cities across 33 countries located throughout Europe as well as beyond it. Solaris is part of the Spanish CAF Group (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles) S.A. From conception, to the design and manufacturing phases, all Solaris buses are produced in Poland. Moreover, all activities undertaken by the manufacturer are in line with the brand’s mission, which is reflected in the motto “We are changing the image of public transport”. Solaris also actively partners with public transport operators and provides them with comprehensive support in their transition to zero-emission mobility.
Additional information
Mateusz Figaszewski
E-mobility Development & Market Intelligence Director
mateusz.figaszewski@solarisbus.com
