The public transport operator in Cologne, Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK), has once again chosen Solaris as the supplier of hydrogen-powered buses. Nine of the buses are Urbino 12 hydrogen buses with a length of 12 meters, while eleven are articulated Urbino 18 hydrogen buses. After the order is fulfilled, the hydrogen fleet in Cologne will number 84 Solaris buses.
There are already 46 Solaris hydrogen buses in Cologne, with another 18 vehicles in production and delivery. Solaris has now received an order for an additional 20 hydrogen buses, including 11 in an articulated version. The delivery of the newly ordered buses is scheduled for the first half of 2025. The continued investment in hydrogen-based public transportation confirms Cologne’s commitment to the development of hydrogen technology, which is becoming the foundation for the city’s public transportation system.
“For us, another order for Solaris hydrogen buses of this number demonstrates the high level of confidence in our company and its products. It’s also a sign that the development toward innovative and emission-free public transportation is progressing rapidly. We are proud that RVK, as a pioneer in this field, has once again opted for our vehicles and that our long-standing, trusting cooperation can be further strengthened in this way,” said Christian Goll, Managing Director of Solaris Deutschland GmbH.
Dr. Marcel Frank, Managing Director of RVK, added: “Step by step we are getting closer to meeting our goal: no emissions at all. Working together with local authorities and our transportation board, we invested very early in hydrogen solutions, including the appropriate infrastructure. As a result, as a major regional carrier, we already have a full hydrogen mobility network in place”.
The ordered Urbino 12 hydrogen and Urbino 18 hydrogen buses are equipped with the latest fuel cells with powers of 70 kW and 100 kW respectively. The guaranteed range of both vehicles is 350 km, regardless of atmospheric and topographic conditions. Like previous vehicles for RVK, the models will feature modern equipment: the buses will have high-efficiency air conditioning with a CO2 heat pump, an advanced monitoring and passenger information system. Among the driver assistance systems, special mention should be made of the fleet monitoring and remote management system eSConnect and the MobilEye Shield+ system, which detects objects in the immediate vicinity of the bus.
Solaris is the undisputed leader of the European hydrogen bus market and has the most experience in manufacturing and supplying this type of vehicle. The company’s market share in 2023 reached an impressive 44.5% in the hydrogen segment. A total of 180 Solaris hydrogen buses already serve traffic in 10 European countries, in 24 cities. More vehicles are gradually being delivered to customers. For 2024-2026, the company’s order portfolio for hydrogen buses is more than 500 vehicles.
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