A Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen bus will operate numerous routes across the attractive town of Wels in the Austrian state of Upper Austria during the next few days.
The vehicle will be tested as part of Austria’s first Hydro-Motion mobility project, which is a collaboration between the Austrian state of Upper Austria, the town of Wels, the transport companies Fronius and Solaris, as well as the transportation service providers Wels Linien, SAB Tours, and OVV.
On 10 August, a press conference was organized in the Austrian town of Wels to announce an innovative and entirely climate-friendly mobility initiative. A Solaris hydrogen bus will undertake trials on Wels routes as part of an effort led by the government of Upper Austria (LINZ). Co-organized by Solaris’s local agent, Solaris Austria, the meeting serves as a symbolic kick-off for the model’s testing in Upper Austria. The hydrogen Urbino’s experiments will go until 20 August 2021.
All project participants were in attendance. They included Solaris Bus & Coach representatives, who are responsible for the hydrogen bus’s handover and technical support during the tests. Additionally, representatives from Fronius International were present. Fronius International gives access to a refueling station in Thalheim, near Wels. Wels-Linien, the operator responsible for servicing the line on which the hydrogen-powered Solaris will operate for the next ten days, was also in attendance at the press briefing. As part of the initiative, Sabtours-Autobetrieb provided drivers and the necessary licenses. The event, which was also covered by foreign media, is a critical component of the state of Upper Austria’s continued pursuit of its “E-motion” plan to develop alternative drives.
“I am extremely pleased that Solaris hydrogen buses are increasingly enjoying interest from Austrian transport operators. Once again we have received an opportunity to demonstrate our hydrogen bus in Austria. The future of mobility is emission-free, and hydrogen technology allows us to achieve excellent operational performance. This commitment by the state of Upper Austria, responsible for the presentation of the demonstration model to local inhabitants, is an outstanding example of how to actively raise awareness regarding alternative drives in municipal transport,” said Anna Mejer, General Manager of Solaris Austria.
