OBB Postbus has signed a contract with Solaris for the delivery of five hydrogen buses. The hydrogen-powered vehicles will be operated in picturesque Villach in south-eastern Austria.
This is the first order placed under a framework agreement concluded at the beginning of 2021 and envisioning the option for the purchase of up to 40 vehicles of this type by the customer. The investment coincides with the execution of the H2 Carinthia project which aims to foster the development of hydrogen technology in this region.
The use of hydrogen in transport provides a real opportunity to reduce emissions generated by this sector. Public transport operators and municipal authorities in the Austrian province of Carinthia wish to tap into this enormous potential. The H2 Carinthia project aims to support the development of the region in terms of the use of hydrogen in public transport and for industrial purposes. The participants include the largest carriers in Austria, city authorities, and energy firms. This project will cover, among others, the first hydrogen fuelling station of Carinthia, as well as the addition of hydrogen-fuelled vehicles to existing bus fleets.
ÖBB Postbus is the biggest bus operator in Austria. One of the chief aspects of its business operation is the testing of alternative propulsion technologies based on, for instance, hydrogen or electric power. The partnership between Postbus and Solaris dates back to 2009, and right now Postbus operates some 169 vehicles of the Urbino model. The contract signed at the beginning of December is the first one though concerning alternative drive buses.
Solaris is Europe's leading provider of zero-emission solutions for city transport vehicles, in particular for electric and hydrogen buses. The hydrogen-fuelled Urbino 12 hydrogen was launched in 2019 and is currently the most advanced vehicle in the manufacturer’s portfolio. So far, some 100 units of this model have been sold to clients in Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden.
