Van Hool, a Belgian bus, coach and industrial vehicle manufacturer, has entered a contract with the cities of Cologn and Wuppertal in Germany to supply 40 hydrogen buses for public transport. The order consists of 30 fuel cell buses for Cologne and 10 for Wuppertal. These buses will be built in Van Hool’s facility in Koningshooikt and will be delivered in the spring of 2019.
Van Hool has been building hydrogen buses for the North American market since 2005 and for the European market since 2007. The company has produced 53 hydrogen buses to-date and is currently building 8 more for a French city. The German order for Van Hool’s buses effectively doubles the company’s output.
The buses for German transport will be of the Van Hool A330 type with dual axles and a 12 meter length. They will be equipped with Van Hool’s new FCvelocity-HD85 fuel cell module, sourced from Ballard Power Systems of Vancouver, Canada. A Siemens 210 kW electric traction motor propels the bus. Seating designs include 29 seats and up to 49 standing passengers, including space for two wheelchair users and a baby pram. The buses have a hydrogen tank capacity of 38.2kg and can handle a full day’s schedule at up to 350 km per fill.
Aaron is an automotive journalist living in Wyoming, USA. His background includes technology, mechanics, commercial vehicles, and new vehicle evaluations. Aaron is a member of several automotive media groups and writes for many well-known publications.