ÖBB Postbus has landed a deal with Solaris for the delivery of five hydrogen buses.
The hydrogen-fueled vehicles will be stationed in the lovely Austrian town of Villach. This is the first order placed under the terms of a framework agreement signed in early 2021, which includes the customer’s option to purchase up to 40 cars of this sort.
The investment occurs concurrently with the implementation of the H2 Carinthia project, which intends to accelerate the development of hydrogen technology in this region.
Hydrogen in transportation is a significant possibility to minimize emissions created by this sector.
Public transport providers and municipal governments in Austria’s Carinthia province aim to capitalize on this great opportunity. The H2 Carinthia project intends to aid the region’s growth by promoting the use of hydrogen in public transportation and industry.
Among the participants are Austria’s main carriers, city governments, and energy companies. This project will include the construction of Carinthia’s first hydrogen fueling station as well as the installation of hydrogen-fueled buses to current bus fleets.
Solaris entered into a framework agreement with carrier ÖBB Postbus in early 2021, establishing the option of purchasing up to 40 hydrogen buses by 2023. The carrier exercised that option in December 2021, placing an order for five Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen models. These vehicles run on electricity generated on-board by a series of fuel cells. The bus’s technology enables it to go around 350 kilometers fully emission-free in all conditions. Solaris intends to deliver the vehicles by November 2022. The cutting-edge buses will be deployed in Villach, the Carinthian Alps’ capital.
Intriguingly, this spring, the hydrogen-powered, zero-emission Urbino 12 hydrogen was on exhibit and conducting test runs around Carinthia, including Villach. Thus, officials of regional governments and transportation operators were able to examine the vehicle’s technology up close. Local carriers were undoubtedly attracted to the state-of-the-art bus model. Following test rides in Carinthia, the hydrogen Solaris presentation continued in the province of Upper Austria.
ÖBB Postbus is Austria’s largest bus company. One of the company’s primary activities is the testing of alternative propulsion systems, such as hydrogen or electric power. Postbus and Solaris have been working together since 2009, and Postbus currently operates 169 Urbino vehicles. The contract inked in early December is the first of its kind for alternative-drive buses.
“The start of a new, ‘electric’ chapter in the cooperation with our customer Postbus is not only a great honour for us, but it also marks a chance at fostering the green change in public transport in Austria by providing innovative solutions. Seeing as Austrian clients have expressed interest in hydrogen and electric technology used in buses, I am extremely optimistic about the development of sustainable transport in this part of Europe,” remarked Petros Spinaris, Member of the Management Board of Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o. for Sales, Marketing and After Sales.
