Hydrogen buses for Hamburg: Delivery continues!

Hydrogen buses for Hamburg: Delivery continues!

Hamburg faces an unexpected standstill in the turn of traffic! The city must continue to wait for the delivery of five hydrogen buses, which were originally supposed to arrive at the end of June. This delay causes unrest, while the Hamburg Hochbahn is hoping for a "timely" solution. The buses, ordered from the Polish manufacturer Solaris, are crucial for the planned changeover to emission -free transport.

The Hochbahn already has two electrical articular buses with fuel cells in use, which have been greater reach since 2014. However, the new hydrogen buses are to be operated exclusively with hydrogen, which is converted into electricity in a fuel cell. Despite the long waiting time, there is still a need for clarification with the manufacturer, and company spokesman Christoph Kreienbaum emphasizes: "We expect a product that we want to take over." However, the exact delivery time remains uncertain.

strategic options and challenges

Although the elevator does not urgently need the new buses, hydrogen technology should be preserved as a strategic option. The future is uncertain, but hydrogen could gain in importance in northern Germany with its high potential for renewable energy sources. Kreienbaum emphasizes that the technology of the pure battery buses is currently superior, with a range of 300 kilometers, which is sufficient for Hamburg. The company already has 282 battery buses and is planning to deliver up to 350 other vehicles with Daimler buses.

The Hochbahn had set itself the goal of operating all around 1,100 buses emission-free by 2030, but this goal was postponed to the early 1930s. Funding remains a major challenge because the federal funding expires in mid -2025. A batteryus costs two to three times as much as a diesel bus, and Kreienbaum sees the future of the company in danger: "We cannot manage this as a transport company."