Solaris has delivered 10 H₂ buses to two German customers from the Upper Bavaria region. Five Urbino 12 H₂ were delivered to the carrier Busreisen Ettenhuber GmbH, and another 5 to Martin Geldhauser GmbH & Co. KG. Busreisen Ettenhuber GmbH and Martin Geldhauser GmbH & Co KG., two private, family-run bus carriers from Bavaria, ordered a total of 10 Solaris Urbino 12 H₂ buses in April last year. All vehicles are now with the customers. These state-of-the-art buses will enrich emission-free public transport in the Munich and Ebersberg regions.

In coordination with the districts of Munich and Ebersberg and the Munich Transport Authority (MVV), it was agreed that the vehicles would be deployed on different routes to gain extensive experience regarding route lengths, weather conditions, capacity utilization and many other variables in this pilot project. This approach aims to continuously optimize transport operations.

Both the Geldhauser and Ettenhuber buses have similar specifications. They are equipped with an axle with integrated electric motors. Each bus have ultra-modern fuel cell kits with a capacity of 70 kW. H₂ is stored in five tanks with a total capacity of 1,560 liters. Thanks to this technology, the buses can cover a minimum of 350 km on a single refueling. The H₂ Solaris vehicles are equipped with a relatively small Solaris High Power traction battery, which supports the fuel cell during periods of peak electricity demand.

In addition to safe driving features, the H₂ buses for Upper Bavarian carriers are equipped with MobilEye Shield+. This system monitors blind spots and warns the driver with acoustic and light signals if a pedestrian or cyclist enters the area. In addition, the carriers have ordered the modern eSConnect system for remote diagnostics of buses. The program helps optimize fleet operation by increasing vehicle availability, reducing bus downtime and avoiding unnecessary vehicle returns to the depot.

The buses are scheduled to enter regular service this fall, coinciding with the completion of H₂ filling stations currently under construction at the Geldhauser and Ettenhuber depots. These stations will be supplied with green H₂ produced exclusively from renewable energy in Pfeffenhausen near Landshut.

Cooperation between Solaris and each carrier dates to 2004. During this time, the manufacturer delivered more than 130 buses to Busreisen Ettenhuber and 60 to Martin Geldhauser. Now family-run companies are embarking on a new stage of implementing H₂ technology. Interest in this emission-free solution is constantly growing in Europe, with Solaris being the European leader in the segment of H₂ buses. Deliveries and concluded contracts have covered a total of 350 H₂ buses.