Solaris is cementing its position as the leading European bus manufacturer in the hydrogen technology sector, and with a growing interest in hydrogen technology across the continent, the company is poised to consolidate its position as the largest hydrogen bus manufacturer in Europe having gained a market share of 44.5% in the 2023 financial year. This August saw the announcement of three new agreements, with an overall value in excess of €30m, for cities in Germany, the Czech Republic and France.
German city of Kerpen relies on Solaris hydrogen buses
Solaris continues to supply hydrogen buses to the German market. This time it is the operator REVG Kerpen, who has chosen the CAF Group to supply a total of 26 Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen buses. The vehicles will be equipped with 70 kW hydrogen fuel cells and Solaris High Power batteries to support operation during peak demand.
It is worth noting that the German market is clearly committed to hydrogen technology. This is demonstrated by the fact that Solaris buses equipped with this technology are already in operation in cities such as Cologne, Wuppertal, Weimar, Frankfurt, Groß-Zimmern, Aschaffenburg and in the Munich metropolitan area. Over the next few months, other cities where contracts have recently been signed, such as Güstrow, Groß-Gerau, Hamburg, Gummersbach and Duisburg will also receive their new units in due course.
Solaris also wins contracts for the Czech Republic and France
On the one hand, the Czech private transport company Martin Uher Bus will receive its first hydrogen buses, namely ten Urbino 12 hydrogen vehicles, which will operate in the Central Bohemia region around Prague and are scheduled for delivery by the end of 2025.
This is the first Solaris hydrogen bus project in the region, with vehicles that will be powered by hydrogen produced from 100% green electricity from the nearby Vrané nad Vltavou hydroelectric power plant. These units will have to prove themselves in the difficult and uneven roads around the village of Mníšek pod Brdy, in the district of Prague-West.
In addition, Solaris continues to grow in one of its target markets, France, in this case with a project for the city of Belfort, where it will deliver eight articulated hydrogen buses. The vehicles will be purchased by SMTC (Le Syndicat Mixte des Transports en Commun du Territoire de Belfort), a public body that brings together transport operators in the area, with the final operator being the Régie des Transports du Territoire de Belfort (RTTB), which manages mobility in the region.
This is the third order for Solaris hydrogen buses in France in recent months, following orders from Artois Mobilités and Ile-de-France Mobilités, demonstrating the company's commitment to the French bus market. It should be remembered that the CAF Group has grown considerably in recent years in the French rail market, winning major contracts for operators such as SNCF, RATP and Ille-de-France Mobilitiés, which has made it the second largest player in terms of market share and strengthened its position as a reference company for the authorities in the development of public transport in France.