RVK rolls out hydrogen-powered articulated buses in European premiere
Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH has put the first of a total of 108 articulated buses that run on hydrogen into operation.
From left to right: Willi Schmitz (Managing Director of Infrastruktur- u. Projektgesellschaft mbH), Stephan Santelmann (District Administrator of Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis and Chairman of the Board of RVK), Dr. Sven Halldorn (BMVD), Dr. Marcel Frank (Managing Director of RVK), Marion Lück (Mayor of Wermelskirchen) and Svenja Udelhoven (District Director of Rhein-Sieg-Kreis).
(Image: RVK)
The transport company Regionalverkehr Köln (RVK) has put eight hydrogen-powered articulated buses (GOM) into regular service. This is the first time in Europe that a fleet of buses with this type of drive has been "brought online", as RVK put it in a press release. Ten more of these Solaris Urbino 18 Hydrogen buses are to follow this month, with a total of 108 to follow by 2025.
Hydrogen buses have been in regular service in the Rheinisch-Bergisch district since 2020. The technology first had to prove itself in topographically challenging terrain. This is particularly true for the 18-metre-long hydrogen buses, explains RVK. The first ten buses are stationed in Wermelskirchen, and the next ten are due to arrive in Bergisch Gladbach.
Clean and quiet through villages and towns
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) points out that his ministry has supported RVK with 33.9 million euros for the procurement of the H2 articulated buses via the "Directive on the promotion of alternative drive systems for passenger transport buses". "Public transport plays a central role in the mobility of our society. With alternative drive systems, buses can travel through our villages and cities in a climate-friendly and much quieter way", said Wissing in Cologne.
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From the BMDV funding package, 31 hydrogen buses were integrated into the RVK bus fleet between April 2022 and June of this year. By the end of April 2025, 59 fuel cell buses from the funding package are still potentially available. According to RVK, all 59 buses have already been ordered. These include 11 articulated buses and 48 solo buses. The vehicles should be delivered on schedule in the following months up to the end of 2025. The overall funding program currently runs from 2021 to 2025, in which around 4,000 electric buses have been funded to date.
Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. has been awarded the contract for a total of 20 guaranteed and 20 optional hydrogen-powered fuel cell hybrid buses. The Urbino 18 Hydrogen buses have an electric central engine and a differential gearbox. Equipped with a 100 kW fuel cell set, these buses use 50 kg of hydrogen, which is stored in eight tank cylinders on the vehicle roof for a range of 350 km.
(anw)