Thanks to funding from the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport, German public transportation company Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK) and its shareholders have reached a new milestone.
By 2025, there will be 108 hydrogen-powered buses in the fleet. 79 hydrogen-powered buses were purchased in the first procurement phase, and 29 hydrogen-powered articulated buses were purchased in the second phase, making this an extremely comprehensive package. The availability of articulated buses is still a major factor in the procurement process.
The first vehicles are expected to be tested by RVK in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to the company. However, based on current conditions, RVK may receive the first 20 of the financing package’s 20 buses by December 2022.
The Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport provided the funding for these zero-emission vehicles as part of a series of grants. Eight public transportation companies received a total of 600 million euros under a new directive on the promotion of alternative drive systems for buses in passenger transport.
