The German carrier Stadtwerke Aschaffenburg Verkehrs GmbH has opted for 12 hydrogen buses to be manufactured by Solaris. 10 Urbino 12 hydrogen and 2 Urbino 18 hydrogen units will make their way to one of the bigger towns in the Lower Franconia region. This is Solaris’s first ever order for the 18-metre hydrogen-powered buses that were launched in autumn last year.
This February, the carrier from Aschaffenburg signed a contract for the purchase of a total of 12 Solaris hydrogen buses. The ordered 10 Urbino 12 hydrogen vehicles and the 2 18-metre buses will roll out onto the streets of this German city as soon as 2024. The contract signed with Aschaffenburg is also the manufacturer’s first order for the articulated version of these hydrogen-powered buses.
The hydrogen needed to propel the vehicles is stored in gaseous form in tanks, mounted on the front part of the vehicle’s roof. The Urbino 12 hydrogen units will be equipped with a 70 kW set of fuel cells, while the Urbino 18 hydrogen buses will boast a 100 kW fuel cell module. At moments of increased electricity demand, the fuel cell will be boosted by a Solaris High Power battery, or two of them, depending on the bus length, each with a capacity of 30 kWh.
As standard, the vehicle’s interior will feature air conditioning, cameras monitoring the passenger compartment and the immediate vicinity of the bus, as well as an advanced passenger communication system. Moreover, thanks to an automatic passenger counting system, the driver will always be kept informed as to the number of passengers currently onboard. A spacious area for the simultaneous transport of a wheelchair and a pram/pushchair or a bike has also been envisaged. Moreover, the vehicles will boast USB ports to recharge mobile devices.
In addition, the buses destined for Aschaffenburg will be equipped with advanced systems, such as cameras in lieu of mirrors or the MobileEye Shield+ system, which alerts the driver every time an unexpected object is detected in the vicinity of the bus. Continuous servicing of the vehicles will be provided by eSConnect, a bus fleet monitoring and management system designed by Solaris.
Hydrogen buses are an essential part of Solaris’s e-mobility offering and an attractive proposition for towns and cities that are striving to achieve zero-emission public transport systems. Since its launch in autumn 2022, the Urbino 18 hydrogen model has enjoyed growing interest across the European market. As for Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen buses, out of over 200 units ordered to-date, 100 vehicles already ply routes in e.g. Bolzano in Italy, Cologne and Wuppertal in Germany, in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands, and in the city of Konin in Poland.
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
