Connexxion, a public transit organization based in The Netherlands, has signed a contract for 20 hydrogen Solaris buses that will be delivered by the end of 2021. Concurrent with the sale of buses, the parties signed a servicing agreement for 12 years.
Connexxion will use the buses in the Hoekse Waard and Goeree-Overflakkee regions.
The Solaris Urbino 12 bus employs a set of fuel cells with 70 kW of power. The hydrogen is stored in gaseous form in five tanks placed on the bus’ roof. The set of Type 4 composite tanks, placed longitudinally above the first axle of the vehicle, has a total volume of 1560 L. The hydrogen is turned into electricity, that, in turn, directly feeds the bus driveline. The bus is also fitted with a Solaris high-power battery.
Pursuant to the specification, the buses contain 37 seats. The passenger exchange will take place through doors, arranged in 1-2-0 configuration. Passengers will be provided with USB ports, air conditioning, readable information displays and a wheelchair space. Better visibility for the driver will be ensured by a special camera system, replacing wing mirrors, projecting the image into screens inside the vehicle.
Refueling will take place in Heinenoord, in the vicinity of the bus depot. As hydrogen is becoming an increasingly popular energy source, private passenger cars will also be allowed to use the infrastructure.
Photo: The Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen bus
