INTERNATIONAL
New Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen bus under trial in several European cities
The latest hydrogen-powered 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. While these cities strive to make their municipal transport more environmentally friendly, Solaris wants to embrace customer expectations, adding hydrogen-fueled buses to its low and zero-emission vehicle portfolio.
In August, the Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen bus 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.
Moreover, during the Global Public Transport Summit UITP 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 Italian carrier SASA Bolzano ordered at the end of May 12 units of the bus, with the delivery planned for the end of 2021.
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.