As part of its mission to achieve a zero-emission public transport system, the German carrier Stadtwerke Aschaffenburg Verkehrs GmbH has chosen Solaris to produce 12 hydrogen buses. The order includes 10 Urbino 12 hydrogen buses and 2 Urbino 18 hydrogen buses, which will be deployed in one of the larger towns in the Lower Franconia region.
This February, the carrier signed a contract for the purchase of these buses, which are expected to hit the streets of the city as early as 2024. The order is also Solaris’s first for the articulated version of the hydrogen-powered buses.
The hydrogen fuel needed to propel the vehicles will be stored in gaseous form in tanks mounted on the front part of the roof of each bus. 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. During moments of increased electricity demand, the fuel cell will be boosted by a Solaris High Power battery, or two, depending on the bus length, with a capacity of 30 kWh.
Each vehicle’s interior will feature air conditioning, cameras to monitor the passenger compartment and the area around the bus, as well as an advanced passenger communication system. Additionally, the driver will be kept informed about the number of passengers on board with an automatic passenger counting system. The buses will also have a spacious area to transport a wheelchair and a pram or a bicycle, as well as USB ports to recharge mobile devices.
The buses destined for Aschaffenburg will also be equipped with advanced systems, such as cameras instead of mirrors and 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.
See also: Solaris receives order for 20 electric buses from Poland bus operator MPK KrakĆ³w
Solaris’s hydrogen buses are an essential part of the company’s e-mobility offering and an attractive proposition for towns and cities striving for zero-emission public transport systems. Since the Urbino 18 hydrogen model was launched in autumn 2022, it has enjoyed growing interest across the European market. Out of over 200 units ordered to date, 100 vehicles already ply routes in cities such as 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.
