Solaris reports orders for over 700 fuel-cell electric buses in Europe

Solaris has published sales data for its hydrogen buses and counts 40 customers from ten European countries. They ordered over 700 fuel cell vehicles from the Polish manufacturer, but many orders still await completion.

The Solaris FCEV range includes the Urbino 12 and Urbino 18 Hydrogen models. The numbers designate the length in metres.

So far, Solaris says it has delivered just under 200 of the 700 zero-emission buses on order but adds it was working toward completing the order log.

Solaris launched the smaller FCEV in 2019, followed by the 18-metre articulated model in late 2022. According to the supplier, this also explains the seeming backlog, with many orders placed over the last months.

The most significant contract came only in September 2023 when Bologna’s public transport operator TPER purchased 130 Urbino 12 hydrogen buses. The Italian carrier also holds an option for another 140 FCEV.

Another public transport operator from Italy, Azienda Veneziana della Mobilita, has ordered 90 Urbino hydrogen vehicles, including 75 12-metre and 15 articulated units. These buses will run on the mainland and the islands of the Venetian Lagoon.

The third largest order came from Germany, where RVK Köln has opted for Solaris FCEV three times in a row. Its fleet of 35 hydrogen buses will be joined by 18 bendy models in Cologne soon.

Other customers are set in Austria, Switzerland, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and Slovakia.

“Recognising the ongoing development of the hydrogen vehicle market, and thus seeing a growing number of orders for buses powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, Solaris has been strengthening this particular area of its business activity,” the company writes. The manufacturer is constructing the ‘Hydrogen Hall’ as a dedicated production line for hydrogen drivelines.

solarisbus.com