Irizar unveils type-approved hydrogen coach with 1,100 km range — and raises the 700 bar question

Basque bus manufacturer Irizar has presented the second generation of its hydrogen coach, the i6S Efficient H2 FCEV, at the annual assembly of SHYNE (Spanish Hydrogen Network). The vehicle has completed European type approval and will enter passenger service with operator Alsa in Madrid this summer. It becomes the first type-approved hydrogen coach in scheduled passenger service in Europe.

1,100 kilometres at 350 bar

At the SHYNE meeting, Alsa and Irizar shared operational insights rarely found in press releases. The most striking: the buses achieve a range of 1,100 kilometres at 350 bar. Refuelling takes approximately ten minutes. Irizar will offer both 350 bar and 700 bar versions, but the practical reflection is clear: the step to 700 bar means significantly higher operating costs (OPEX), particularly on the refuelling infrastructure side, while the additional range is only 25 per cent.

The question that follows is relevant across the entire sector: will an operator systematically pay more per kilogram of hydrogen for 25 per cent more range? For urban and regional transport, where buses return to the depot daily, the answer is probably no. For long-distance routes, the calculation may differ.

From two fuel cell stacks to one

A second insight concerns technology maturation. Where first-generation hydrogen buses required two fuel cell stacks, the current generation operates with a single stack. That means less complexity, less weight, lower costs and simpler maintenance. It is a concrete example of how rapidly fuel cell technology is maturing.

The second-generation i6S also offers more passenger and luggage space, a lower vehicle weight and greater range than the model unveiled at Busworld in Brussels in 2023. That first prototype completed a record 2,500-kilometre journey between Ormaiztegi (Basque Country) and Briancon in the French Alps in April 2025, demonstrating a range of 900 kilometres per fill.

SHYNE: Spain's hydrogen network grows

The presentation took place during SHYNE's annual assembly at host company Exolum, which manages logistics infrastructure for the energy sector. SHYNE now counts nine founding partners — including Alsa, Bosch, Enagas, Repsol, Talgo, Navantia Seanergies, Exolum and Moeve — plus more than 25 affiliated organisations. Javier Herrador (Navantia Seanergies) was elected new chairman at the meeting.

During the event, the Irizar coach refuelled hydrogen at Exolum's pilot plant — a demonstration of the interplay between vehicle, infrastructure and logistics that SHYNE seeks to promote as a platform.

The 350 bar lesson

The 350 bar versus 700 bar debate is relevant well beyond Spain. In heavy transport and bus operations, tank pressure determines not only vehicle design but also infrastructure costs. A 350 bar station is cheaper to build and operate. If the range at 350 bar is already more than sufficient for the daily duty cycle, the step to 700 bar is an investment without operational return. With 1,100 kilometres at 350 bar, Irizar demonstrates that the threshold has already been reached for many applications.

Sources

• LinkedIn post Santiago Ramas Lopez, June 2026 — SHYNE General Assembly at Exolum
• Sustainable Bus, 3 June 2026 — Type-approved new-generation Irizar hydrogen coach to begin passenger service with Alsa
• SHYNE, 28 May 2026 — Javier Herrador elected new president
• Bus-News, June 2026 — Irizar unveils second-generation hydrogen coach ahead of passenger trials
• Sustainable Bus, 17 April 2025 — Irizar i6S Efficient Hydrogen: 900-kilometre range road test