Solaris to deliver ten fuel cell buses to the Czech Republic
They will be the first hydrogen buses to hit the road in the Central Bohemian region around Prague. More specifically, they will operate in “the hilly areas around Mníšek pod Brdy” outside of the Czech capital. Solaris emphasises that “the buses will be refuelled with hydrogen produced from 100% green electricity.” It will be supplied by Vrané nad Vltavou hydroelectric power plant.
Solaris presented the current generation of its twelve-metre solo bus with fuel cell, the Urbino 12 hydrogen, in 2019. The FCEV is fitted with 70 kW fuel cell and has a stated range of up to 350 kilometres. The vehicle also has several batteries with a total capacity of 60 kWh mounted on top. The are used as an auxiliary power source, for example, during acceleration. They also store energy recuperated during braking. They can also be charged externally.
“We are the most populated region in the Czech Republic and are we closely monitor innovations in transport and other sectors. We are the first region in the country to launch a major hydrogen project in transport,” said Petra Pecková, Governor of the Central Bohemian region. “At some point in the future, all transport is to be emission-free, and we need to test the latest technologies in practice. We already have electric buses on lines in Kutná Hora, Kladno, and the Benešov region. Now we will also try out the other promising fuel – hydrogen.”
“I am extremely proud that Martin Uher Bus has chosen our company as a partner in the transition to zero-emission transport using ten modern Solaris Urbino hydrogen buses,” said Roman Zdráhal, Managing Director at Solaris Czech. “We are honoured to be part of this significant hydrogen project in the Czech Republic. We will bring our experience and extensive knowledge to this initiative – our company has already delivered more than 220 hydrogen fuel cell buses to customers from 10 European countries.”
Solaris hydrogen-fuelled bus is becoming more popular. At the beginning of the year, the manufacturer reportedly had 700 orders on the books. Since then, there have been additional orders for the Urbino 12 and the articulated Urbino 18 hydrogen from Germany, for example, from the Frankfurt and Cologne areas, as well as from Paris.
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