Recently, Spanish bus manufacturer Irizar announced that its second hydrogen-powered bus plans to complete trial operations in Germany this summer and officially enter commercial production in 2027, further advancing the application of fuel cell technology in the long-distance passenger transport sector.
Previously, Irizar deployed its first hydrogen-powered i6S bus in the Spanish capital from June 6 to 7. The vehicle is equipped with a Bosch fuel cell system weighing 190 kg, representing another milestone for the company following the unveiling of a prototype in 2023.
Test results show that this hydrogen bus has a driving range of over 1,000 km, a refueling time of less than 15 minutes, and overall operating performance comparable to that of a diesel bus. This project is also one of the early cases of vehicle application following the launch of Bosch’s new-type fuel cell power module in March this year.
As Irizar pushes ahead with mass production of the new car model, European public transport operators are accelerating the implementation of low-carbon transportation requirements. Under the relevant targets of the Renewable Energy Directive III, by 2030, hydrogen is expected to account for 1.2% of transport energy consumption. Fuel cell buses, with their long driving range and fast energy replenishment, are seen as one of the technical pathways to achieve these targets.
However, the development of hydrogen buses still faces challenges in terms of cost and energy efficiency. Long range and fast refueling can meet some operational needs, but hydrogen undergoes energy losses during production from electricity, conversion, and re-use for power generation, leading to discussions about its overall efficiency.
David Cebon, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Cambridge, previously stated that under the same available kinetic energy conditions, the electricity required for the hydrogen route is about three times that of using electricity directly, reflecting the differences in energy efficiency between different technological pathways.
Meanwhile, the application of hydrogen buses in Europe continues to advance. In May this year, Italian transport operator TPER announced that the first batch of its 127 Solaris Bus hydrogen fuel cell buses had entered operation. Currently, 19 such car models are already in commercial service in Poland.
