GERMANY: Van Hool has won a contract to supply 30 hydrogen-electric buses to Köln and 10 to Wuppertal, the manufacturer announced on February 28.
To be built at Van Hool’s Koningshooikt factory in Belgium, the A330 buses are due to be delivered to RVK Köln and WSW Wuppertal from early 2019.
Ballard Power Systems is supplying a FCvelocity-HD85 Fuel Cell module for each bus. The buses will have a hydrogen tank capacity of 38·2 kg, and will also be equipped with lithium batteries and a 210 kW Siemens PEM electric traction motor, as well as regenerative braking. Around 8 kg of hydrogen would be consumed over 100 km.
The 12 m long buses for Köln would have capacity for 75 passengers including 29 seated, and those for Wuppertal would able to hold three more standing passengers. There would be space for two wheelchairs.
The order is being financed by the federal Ministry of Transport & Digital Infrastructure through the Fuel Cells & Hydrogen Joint Undertaking PPP under the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme.
