Bus of the Year

Urbino 18 hydrogen

Go to

Bus of the Year 2025

The Solaris Urbino 18 hydrogen has been named Bus of the Year 2025 by the prestigious International Jury of the Bus of the Year competition.

This articulated, zero-emission bus is powered by electricity generated from hydrogen fuel cells, marking a groundbreaking achievement as the first hydrogen-powered vehicle to win the award in the competition's history.

The title comes after the rigorous Bus Euro Test, which is organized by the Association of Commercial Vehicle Editors (ACE) since 1989.

download full specification

Bus of the Year 2025

This is a tremendous distinction not only for our product but for our entire zero-emission mobility strategy. This title acknowledges both the excellence of our product and our strong market position throughout Europe. We are greatly honored to be a leader in zero-emission solutions, supplying our customers with battery and hydrogen buses.

Javier Iriarte

CEO of Solaris Bus & Coach

Advanced hydrogen technology

The heart of the Solaris Urbino 18 hydrogen is a cutting-edge fuel cell that acts as a miniature hydrogen power plant. Hydrogen is transformed by the fuel cell into electricity, which is then transferred to the driveline. This hydrogen bus has also extremely low noise level, and the only product of the chemical reaction that takes place in the hydrogen fuel cell, aside from electricity, is water.

“The small number of batteries and the increased power of the fuel cell in the Urbino 18 hydrogen allow this bus to operate efficiently, even when carrying 140 passengers. An additional advantage of the fuel cell is that the vehicle is quickly ready for its next journey as allmost all the energy is stored in the hydrogen. To continue drivin, all that is needed is refueling the hydrogen, after which the bus can travel up to 600 kilometers. No additional infrastructure is needed,”

Dariusz Michalak, CTO of Solaris Bus & Coach.

Solaris batteries with a capacity of around 60 kWh serve as an auxiliary power source, used, for example, during acceleration and for energy storage.

Hydrogen is probably one of the most sustainable fuels, and its usage and share in energy mix will grow fastest in public transport in the coming years. Solaris has managed to construct a bus that meets future requirements in terms of passenger comfort and capacity, driver safety, and a good workplace, as well as a sustainable and environmentally friendly powertrain.

Tom Terjesen

President of Bus of the Year Jury

Videos

BUS OF THE YEAR 2025
Bus Euro Test 2024

Modular drive = more space

The vehicle is designed without a conventional engine compartment, as it features a modular drive system with components placed on the roof and at the rear of the vehicle. This solution offers several advantages:

Maximizes passenger capacity
Facilitates maintenance and servicing
Provides flexibility in roof arrangement options.

Depending on the configuration, the bus can carry up to 140 passengers.

Modular drive = more space

> 600 km range

With hydrogen technology and an increased number of new, light hydrogen tanks with a total capacity of 51.2 kg, the brand-new bus performs perfectly on longer routes.

It can cover 600 km on a single refill (based on energy consumption in e-SORT 2 tests), while maintaining all the qualities of an electric drive.

Full refueling of the vehicle takes only about 20 minutes.

Technology of the future

Hydrogen buses offer all the advantages of an electric drive – smooth, emission-free and quiet operation – with an even greater range and fast refueling. These vehicles are especially well-suited in transport applications that require long range and operational flexibility.

The dynamics of development of the hydrogen economy is truly impressive, particularly in the bus industry. More and more operators see hydrogen as the ultimate solution for their transport systems. Almost half (44.5%!) of all hydrogen buses registered in mainland Europe in 2023 were Solaris vehicles, demonstrating the company’s dominance in this field. And the trend is set to continue.

Technology of the future

Bus of the Year 2017

This is the second time that a Solaris vehicle has won the Bus of the Year title.

In 2017, the prestigious honor went to the Solaris Urbino 12 electric – a battery-powered bus.

Solaris is therefore the first company in the history of the Bus of The Year competition to win the title for both battery-powered bus and now a hydrogen-powered bus.

Bus of the Year 2017

Technical data

Urbino 18 hydrogen