H2Bus hydrogen-electric bus launches in Europe

Fuel cell systems designer and manufacturer Loop Energy (Vancouver, British Columbia) announced that Mobility & Innovation Production s. r. o. (Slovakia), responsible for the development of composite lightweight, zero-emission city bus platforms, is launching its H2Bus, an eight-meter hydrogen-electric minibus. Mobility & Innovation will display the bus in Slovakia, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, with the goal of securing orders for the H2Bus in markets across Europe.

With more than 1,200 kilometers (746 miles) driven, Mobility & Innovation developed the bus to demonstrate the viability of hydrogen fuel cell technology in transit vehicles and market its future product line. The bus, with seating for 21 passengers, offers a zero-emissions solution to urban transit. Power will be provided by a Loop Energy S300 Series hydrogen fuel cell system and an electric motor.

Fuel efficiency is the standout feature, Loop Energy says, with the H2Bus said to require just 10.5 kilograms (23 pounds) of hydrogen to achieve more than 400 kilometers (249 miles) of range. The increased fuel efficiency enables lower onboard fuel storage, which has provided the flexibility to integrate the hydrogen tanks — most likely made of composites — into the bus' engine compartment. H2Bus is an early example of where this design has been made possible in a minibus.

Mobility & Innovation chose Loop Energy’s 30-kilowatt fuel cell system after its eFlow technology outperformed competitors' products in fuel efficiency tests in 2021. Throughout the pilot phase of its Customer Adoption Cycle, Loop Energy provided integration and design support to help achieve EU homologation approval. Now that Mobility & Innovation can offer the H2Bus for fleet deployment, Loop Energy believes it is close to advancing to the scale-up phase. 

“The H2Bus has always had ambitious fuel consumption targets, and by choosing Loop Energy’s fuel cell, we did not have to compromise our vision,” says Mobility & Innovation co-owner and CEO, János Onódi. “We aim to show bus fleet operators around Europe that hydrogen mobility is a viable option when transitioning to electrification.”

Loop Energy announced the shipment of the fuel cell system in September 2021 and has agreed to deliver more systems over the next two and a half years.