On 23 September 2025, Duisburg’s DVG announces that it has put fourteen hydrogen-powered articulated buses from Polish manufacturer Solaris, a subsidiary of the Spanish CAF Group, into service. They run on hydrogen, which reacts with oxygen in the air in a fuel cell from Canadian manufacturer Ballard, type ‘FC move-HD’. This produces electricity, which is then used to power the bus.
All 14 buses – like their eleven 12-metre-long counterparts Solaris Urbino 12 – can be used freely throughout the entire DVG bus network. We reported on this HERE. Unlike the DVG’s three-year-old battery-electric articulated buses, they do not need to be recharged during their daily service: they leave the depot in the morning, travel around the city all day and return to the depot at the end of the day, easily covering a range of 600 kilometres.
Three of the 14 hydrogen articulated buses feature special decals that not only draw attention to the fact that they are hydrogen buses, but also to the ‘International Garden Exhibition Ruhr Area (IGA)’, which will take place in Duisburg in 2027.
Duisburg’s Lord Mayor Sören Link at the presentation of the hydrogen articulated buses: ‘We want local transport for Duisburg that is reliable, sustainable and climate-friendly. Hydrogen plays a key role in this. The new hydrogen articulated buses show how innovation and everyday life go hand in hand.’
Andreas Gutschek, Chief Technology Officer at DVG, added: “With the new hydrogen articulated buses, DVG is continuing to drive forward the transition of its bus fleet. The commissioning of a further 14 hydrogen buses is the next important step towards completely emission-free local transport in Duisburg. As a transport company, we want to continue along this path. To do so, we will continue to rely on subsidies in the future. Without effective support from the federal and state governments, we will not be able to make this crucial contribution to climate protection and improving the quality of life in Duisburg.”
About the technology of hydrogen articulated buses
The Solaris Urbino 18 hydrogen is 18,000 mm long, 2,550 mm wide and 3,300 mm high. It can carry 140 passengers, 54 of whom can be seated. The vehicle is powered by a central electric motor with an output of 240 kW (equivalent to 326 hp). This is located on the left-hand side at the rear of the bus. The new Duisburg buses are three-door models, but Solaris also offers its Urbino 18 hydrogen as a four-door model.
The articulation between the front and rear sections is electronically controlled.
The fuel cell has an output of 100 kW. The hydrogen is stored in eight pressure cylinders, five larger ones and three smaller ones. When fully fuelled, the bus carries 51.2 kilograms of hydrogen in these eight cylinders. The cylinders are located partly on the roof and partly at the rear of the bus – where a diesel bus would have its engine. Refuelling is carried out at a pressure of 350 bar.
Solaris uses an axle with independent suspension and components from Bosch for the front axle, while the drive axle, a low-floor portal axle, comes from ZF. The braking system features EBS (electronic braking system), ABS (anti-lock braking system) and ASR (anti-slip regulation).
The electricity generated by the fuel cell is first fed into buffer batteries, which come from Solaris itself and have a capacity of 60 kWh. These are lithium titanium oxide (LTO) batteries of the ‘Solaris High Power’ type and are located on the roof of the bus. This type of battery is characterised by its long service life. The electricity is then fed from the batteries to the electric motor.
The permissible total weight of the vehicle is 29,000 kg.
The driver has a separate air conditioning system at his workplace, which allows him to create the ambient conditions in which he feels comfortable, independently of the rest of the vehicle. And his seat offers special back support.
You won’t find any conventional rear-view mirrors on Duisburg’s new hydrogen-powered articulated buses. The view behind the vehicle is provided by ‘mirror-eye cameras’ and a rear-view camera. The vehicles are also equipped with blind spot assist and brake assist. Video surveillance ensures safety on the bus.
Refuelling the buses
Duisburg’s fuel cell buses are currently refuelled at a mobile hydrogen filling station at the ‘Am Unkelstein’ depot (in the harbour area). However, a permanent filling station is under construction and is scheduled to go into operation in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The future of the DVG bus fleet
With the new hydrogen articulated buses, DVG now has 32 zero-emission vehicles:
- 11 hydrogen solo buses (12 metres)
- 14 hydrogen articulated buses (18 metres)
- 7 battery electric buses
The DVG’s entire bus fleet consists of just over 100 vehicles, meaning that around a third of its buses are already emission-free. By the early 2030s, Duisburg’s entire (own) bus fleet is set to be pollutant-free.
It may seem surprising that a city the size of Duisburg has only slightly more than 100 buses of its own. However, this is explained by the fact that there are a large number of buses from contractors who operate DVG’s routes.
Funding from the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia
DVG has spent around 20.5 million euros on its total of 25 hydrogen buses (11 solo and 14 articulated buses), for which it has received 7 million euros in funding from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Twenty million euros had to be and still has to be invested in the refuelling and workshop infrastructure. The state is providing 18 million euros in funding for this.
15.10.2025
