Solaris starts deliveries of Urbino hydrogen buses to Cologne
In March 2020, in a tender launched by German operator Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (RVK), Solaris Bus & Coach was selected to supply 15 Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen buses. The first of the hydrogen vehicles has been delivered and is being tested in the RVK branch in Wermelskirchen in the Rheinisch-Bergisches Kreis district. The remaining 14 hydrogen buses will make their way to Germany by the end of the year.
Currently, RVK’s drivers are undergoing training in refueling processes, the specifics of the hydrogen drive, and the technology used in the hydrogen bus. The Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen is the first hydrogen-powered vehicle delivered by the manufacturer to this region.
Arriva Netherlands acquires 10 Solaris hydrogen buses
Solaris Bus & Coach and Dutch carrier Arriva Netherlands have signed an agreement for the delivery of 10 Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen buses. The 12-meter hydrogen buses will be delivered to the province of Gelderland in the course of this year. Arriva will start driving them in December 2021 in the Achterhoek region and the cities Zutphen and Apeldoorn.
Gelderland is the largest province in the Netherlands, located in the centre-east of the country. At the end of last year, the Provincial Executive of Gelderland announced that it was participating in the European JIVE2 program (Joint Initiative For Hydrogen Vehicles Across Europe), which focuses on the promotion of emission-free public transport. The aim is to increase the number of hydrogen buses in public transport, inter alia through subsidies of €148,000 per bus. Across Europe, this includes subsidies for 152 buses in 14 European regions.