Hydro-Motion project: Upper Austria tests its first hydrogen-powered bus
As part of an initiative conducted by the government of Upper Austria, a Solaris hydrogen-powered bus will undergo trials on routes in Wels. The vehicle will be tested as part of the Hydro-Motion mobility project, which is unique to Austria and a result of collaboration between the state of Upper Austria, the town of Wels, the transport companies Fronius and Solaris Bus & Coach, as well as the transport service providers Wels Linien, SAB Tours and OÖVV.
Trials of the Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen will last until 20 August 2021. Fronius International provides access to a refueling station in Thalheim near Wels. Operator Wels-Linien is in charge of servicing the line on which the hydrogen-powered bus will run over the next 10 days. Sabtours-Autobetrieb has provided drivers and the required license as part of the project.
“I am extremely pleased that Solaris hydrogen buses are increasingly enjoying interest from Austrian transport operators. Once again we have received an opportunity to demonstrate our hydrogen bus in Austria. The future of mobility is emission-free, and hydrogen technology allows us to achieve excellent operational performance. This commitment by the state of Upper Austria, responsible for the presentation of the demonstration model to local inhabitants, is an outstanding example of how to actively raise awareness regarding alternative drives in municipal transport,” said Anna Mejer, General Manager of Solaris Austria.
Local representative of Solaris, i. e. Solaris Austria co-organized the press conference to launch the climate-friendly mobility project. This meeting provided an excellent opportunity to present the Solaris hydrogen bus and to learn more about the state-of-the-art technology applied in it. The test rides will allow authorities to assess the performance parameters of the vehicle and its potential if applied in regular use. So far, it has been demonstrated that a fully refueled Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen can cover a distance of about 400 km.
