Entering service on March 1, bus passengers in Duisburg, Germany are now able to enjoy hydrogen-led zero-emission public transport to travel around their city. The new Solaris fuel cell bus fleet is powered by Ballard.
Polish Bus manufacturer, Solaris, delivered the first 11 Urbino 12 fuel cell buses to local operator Duisburger Verkehrsgesellschaft AG (DVG) in March 2025, with an additional 14 units of its articulated Urbino 18 model completing a fleet of 25 before the end of the year. It is one of 12 new or supplementary deployments of hydrogen-powered buses by Solaris scheduled in Germany in 2025.
The Urbino 12 has been in service on public transit routes
Solaris's Urbino 18 articulated fuel cell bus integrates a Ballard FCmove®-HD+ 100kW engine, which delivers proven performance and reliability, and the compact, durable, easy-to-install rooftop configuration provides an advanced decarbonized solution for medium- and heavy-duty mobility. The 18-meter model is currently servicing a number of German municipalities including Aschaffenburg and Güstrow; and will soon be deployed in major European cities such as Barcelona and Milan.
The introduction of the first hydrogen-powered buses in Duisburg’s public transport fleet is an important milestone for a city that has set ambitious emissions targets to completely replace its diesel-powered buses with zero-emission alternatives by 2030.
To date, Solaris has delivered over 430 hydrogen buses to cities in Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia, and France. An additional 400 hydrogen buses have been ordered or are currently being delivered across the continent.
The hydrogen bus market is continuing to develop dynamically, with the segment more than doubling in 2024 compared to the previous year. During that 12-month period, Solaris strengthened its market-leading share to 69% by supplying 245 Urbino hydrogen buses to European cities - all powered by Ballard's FCmove® fuel cells.