A hydrogen-powered bus is being tested in Paks as part of the EU co-funded JIVE-2 hydrogen bus program.
Built in Portugal, the Toyota-Caetano H2 City Gold Bus is powered by a 60kW fuel cell and 44kWh battery, which power the 180kW electric motor. The bus has a range of 400 km and requires a charging time of 9 minutes.
The model project is coordinated by the Hungarian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association, the mobility development agency HUMDA is the mobility partner of the project, the hydrogen filling station and the fuel are provided by Messer Hungarogáz Kft. Natural gas is currently used in Hungary for hydrogen production, and green hydrogen produced by electrolysis is supplied from the Ruhr area.
In addition to the ten electric buses that are in service in Paks, there are plans to purchase one hydrogen-powered vehicle, so that in 2024 or 2025 Paks could become the first city in Hungary to have a hydrogen-powered bus in local transport.
The National Hydrogen Strategy, adopted in 2021, envisages that 10,000 tons of green or other carbon-free hydrogen will be used in Hungary by 2030, primarily by commercial vehicles, waste trucks and city buses. According to the document, this means installing 20 charging stations and deploying 4,800 hydrogen-powered vehicles.