Transport operator APAM Esercizio S.p.A. in ‘hydrogen valley’ Italy has placed an order for five modern hydrogen-powered buses. The Île-de-France Mobilités transport operator orders 22 hydrogen buses for its hydrogen fuel evaluation programme
Located in the Lombardy region, Mantua is targeting hydrogen solutions in its efforts to decarbonise the Italian region. This aligns perfectly with the latest order received by Solaris, for five buses powered by hydrogen fuel cells. It is worth noting that the province of Mantua is participating in a project to establish a Hydrogen Valley. Ultimately, the project assumes the production of over 1,500 tons of hydrogen from renewable sources per year.
The key features of Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen include 70 kW hydrogen fuel cells. Hydrogen will be stored in five composite bottles placed on the roof of the vehicle. The buses will be equipped with electric motors in the drive axle, powered by the energy generated in the fuel cell. Thanks to this technology, the buses will emit only water vapor into the environment.
Although this is the first order from the client APAM Esercizio from Mantua, Solaris’ position on the Italian Peninsula is strongly established. This is evidenced by recent notable orders, including 105 electric buses for Milan, 112 articulated trolleybuses for AMT Genova, 130 Urbino 12 hydrogen buses for TPER in Bologna, and 90 hydrogen buses for Azienda Veneziana della Mobilita.
And Solaris hydrogen buses will be a part of hydrogen pilot project by Île-de-France Mobilités. The manufacturer will deliver to France a total of 22 Urbino 12 hydrogen buses by 2025.
Solaris Bus & Coach has been selected to supply 22 Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen buses to Île-de-France Mobilités. With the support of the CATP (Centrale d’Achat du Transport Public), Île-de-France Mobilités has launched a tender for the purchase and maintenance of 22 hydrogen buses. The aim was to evaluate the potential of hydrogen technology for the region’s public transport system.
This trial is part of the initiatives and investments undertaken since 2018 to renew the entire bus fleet in Île-de-France as part of the most ambitious and fastest renewal programme in Europe.
This new contract confirms Solaris’ leadership in the European market for hydrogen and zero-emission vehicles. Only in 2023, 44.5% of all hydrogen buses registered in Europe were Solaris vehicles.
“We are deeply grateful and excited for this opportunity, and would like to thank Île-de-France Mobilités and the CATP for their confidence in us. Our commitment to the development of zero-emission technologies is unwavering, and this project provides an excellent platform to demonstrate our capabilities in the field of electric mobility,” says Brice Bonavia, Business Director for the French market, Solaris Bus & Coach.
The Solaris win is therefore not only a confirmation of the high quality of the product, but also of the growing popularity of this solution. More and more operators see hydrogen technology as a viable solution for their public transport systems. Urbino hydrogen busses have been ordered and delivered to customers in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and Sweden.
Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o. is one of the leading European bus and trolleybus manufacturers. Benefiting from 27 years of experience and having manufactured more than 23,000 vehicles, Solaris affects the quality of city transport in hundreds of cities across Europe every day. Thinking of the future, the firm is setting new standards by dynamically developing its products, in particular in the electromobility sector. Solaris products have been repeatedly awarded for quality and innovation in Poland, as well as in other countries. The Solaris Urbino 12 electric won the prestigious European “Bus of the Year 2017” competition. In September 2018 Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o. joined CAF Group, which acquired 100% of the shares of the company.
