The public transport operator of the German city of Cologne, Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK), has once again chosen Solaris as its supplier of hydrogen-powered buses. This time, the order comprises 20 vehicles, nine of which will be 12-metre Urbino models, while the remaining eleven will be 18-metre articulated Urbino buses. Once the delivery of this order is completed, scheduled for the first half of 2025, Cologne's hydrogen bus fleet will consist of 84 Solaris vehicles.
The city of Cologne, located in western Germany and home to over 1 million inhabitants, is a pioneer in adopting hydrogen-based public transport, in line with its commitment to sustainability. This investment has not only included the purchase of the aforementioned vehicles but also the installation of the necessary infrastructure, enabling the establishment of fully hydrogen-based transport lines.
The buses will offer a guaranteed range of 350 km, regardless of weather or topographical conditions. As with previous vehicles, they will feature modern equipment, including high-efficiency air conditioning, an advanced passenger information and monitoring system, the eSConnect remote fleet monitoring and management system, and the MobilEye Shield+ system, which detects objects in the vicinity of the bus.
On the other hand, Solaris has been selected in France to supply 22 Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen buses to the operator Île-de-France Mobilités. This tender, launched by the operator with the support of CATP (Central Purchasing Office for Public Transport), aims to acquire and maintain hydrogen buses. The purpose of this pilot project was to evaluate the potential of hydrogen technology for the region's public transport system as part of the initiatives and investments undertaken since 2018 to renew the current bus fleet. The delivery of these units is scheduled to take place between late 2024 and 2025.
These new contracts reaffirm Solaris’ leadership in the European hydrogen and zero-emission vehicle market. Notably, in 2023, 44.5% of all hydrogen buses registered in Europe were Solaris vehicles.
The increase in hydrogen bus sales last year clearly highlights the growing interest in this technology, and all indications suggest this trend will continue. In fact, Solaris' order book at the end of last year included 535 hydrogen-powered vehicles scheduled for delivery between 2024 and 2026. It's important to note some of the key advantages of this solution, such as its extensive range and rapid refuelling capability, which provide hydrogen bus fleets with significant flexibility in their operation.