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Weimar Becomes First City with Hydrogen Buses in Thuringia

hydrogen buses thuringia

Weimar becomes first city with hydrogen buses in Thuringia.

Three hydrogen buses will be used in Weimar by the end of 2023. The state supports the million dollar project, which is unique in Thuringia. In the future, Weimar wants to power all buses and garbage trucks with hydrogen.

From next year, three hydrogen buses will be used in local public transport in Weimar. As Mayor Peter Kleine (independent) announced, Weimar is the first municipality in Thuringia to rely on the new drive. Representatives of the city, city economy and the company Solaris Deutschland GmbH signed a contract.

Accordingly, the bus manufacturer Solaris will deliver the three buses with the appropriate drive by the end of 2023. The state of Thuringia supports the purchase with 1.6 million euros. The city economy itself is investing two million euros in the new vehicles.

A gas station is also being built . The workshop will be converted accordingly, said Bernd Wagner, managing director of the city economy. Thüringer Energie AG (Teag) has already installed several photovoltaic modules in Weimar. With the help of an electrolyser , they convert solar power into hydrogen. The hydrogen obtained will then power the buses of the Weimar local transport system.

Weimar wants hydrogen drive for all buses

An independent institute had tested the use of electric and hydrogen buses for Weimar. In the end, the advantages of hydrogen outweighed it, says Wagner. With Weimar’s topography and the distances, they make more sense than electric vehicles, it said. Hydrogen buses have a longer range and are refueled faster.

The city economy has a fleet of 37 buses. Gradually, all buses are to be replaced by hydrogen-powered vehicles. It could take up to 14 years, they said. Garbage trucks will also be relocated. Hydrogen buses release water vapor and therefore cause neither exhaust gases nor emissions.

READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central

Weimar becomes Thuringia’s first city with hydrogen buses, December 13, 2022

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