Solaris Urbino 18 Hydrogen Will Compete for the Bus of the Year Title
Bus Euro Test 2024 was held last week in Prague. Solaris Bus & Coach demonstrated their candidate Urbino 18 hydrogen.
Bus Euro Test is one of the key competitions in the bus industry. It has been held since 1989 by ACE (Association of Commercial Vehicle Editors). The competition is organised every two years, rotating among different European countries. Each edition is organised by a different jury member and involves five teams. The winning vehicle receives the title of the best bus for the next year.
Designed to meet the increasing demands for sustainable transportation solutions
During the competition, the jury focuses on performance metrics such as:
- Acceleration,
- Braking,
- Vibration,
- Noise levels,
- The overall driving and passenger experience.
Solaris’s candidate is Urbino 18 hydrogen, an articulated bus designed to meet the increasing demands for sustainable transportation solutions. It features advanced hydrogen fuel cell technology and many new, lightweight hydrogen tanks.
Their total capacity is 51.2 kg. The bus promises an impressive range of 600 km on one refuelling (based on energy consumption in e-SORT 2 tests) while maintaining all the advantages of an electric drive. The refuelling process is swift, taking about 20 minutes. An auxiliary battery system of approximately 60 kWh provides additional power and energy storage capabilities.
The Solaris Urbino 18 hydrogen does not feature a conventional engine compartment. It has a modular drive system, with components on the roof and in the vehicle’s rear. This solution allowed to:
- Maximise the passenger capacity (up to 140)
- Facilitate vehicle servicing
- Optimise the driving parameters of the bus
You can access more information on Urbino 18 hydrogen HERE.
Solaris has ‘looked back on the event proudly’
‘’Bus Euro Test 2024 has come to an end. We are thankful for the opportunity to be part of this important event and share our passion for sustainable public transport with the jury.
We were pleased to demonstrate the operational capabilities of the Solaris Urbino 18 hydrogen bus. We would like to thank all Solaris employees for their commitment and knowledge that have led us to the point where we can proudly present this state-of-the-art vehicle,’’ Solaris Bus & Coach wrote on their official LinkedIn page.
VIDEO (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-211IgWS-E)
‘’We have been building our expertise in hydrogen technology for almost a decade and have delivered 200 Solaris hydrogen buses to 24 cities in Europe so far. In Prague, our experts were ready to show all the advantages of the vehicle and answer every question from the jury. We are proud that we could present this particular bus.’’
Solaris previously won the competition in 2016 with the Urbino 12 electric battery bus. This model won the prestigious Bus of the Year 2017 title. It was the first electric bus in the history of the Bus Euro Test.
Byline: Reinis Alksnājs
