The 12-metre version of the Solaris Urbino hydrogen bus was launched in 2019. Since then, nearly 100 hydrogen buses have already been delivered to customers in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Poland. Now Solaris has extended the model range with an articulated Urbino 18 hydrogen bus.
The Urbino 18 hydrogen bus is now Solaris’s second hydrogen bus in its zero-emission offering. As with the shorter version, the main energy source in this vehicle is hydrogen. The heart of the Urbino 18 hydrogen bus is a fuel cell. Hydrogen is transformed by the fuel cell into electricity which is then transferred to the driveline. Solaris batteries with a capacity of around 60 kWh, mounted in the vehicle serve as an auxiliary power source, used, for example, during acceleration as well as a storage for recuperated energy. Composite light hydrogen tanks with a total capacity of 51.2 kg are mounted on the roof as well as the fuel cell and batteries. Full refuelling of the vehicle takes around 20 minutes, enough for approximately 350 km. Depending on the configuration, the bus will be able to carry up to 140 passengers. The latest model can be type-approved as a class II vehicle.
The first deliveries of the 18-metre articulated vehicle will be possible as early as the second quarter of 2023. Clients will be offered the possibility of customising the bus to cater for their individual preferences. The bus will be available with four door arrangements: 2-2-2-0, 1-2-2-0, 1-2-2-2 and 2-2-2-2. As standard, the new model will feature an air-conditioning system for the passenger compartment with a heat pump, which uses heat drawn in from outside to create the right vehicle temperature. The air conditioning in the driver’s cabin is powered by the passenger compartment unit. As regards additional features, clients may choose from a variety of solutions, for example, they may opt for ADAS, i. e. advanced drivers assistance systems such as MirrorEye or MobilEye Shield+.