Hydrogen Buses in Public Transport: Economic Viability Is Already a Reality

Expert Workshop at Air Liquide Confirms: The Hydrogen Bus Is Market-Ready

At an expert workshop on "Hydrogen in Public Transport and Coach Travel" held at Air Liquide in Krefeld, representatives from transport operators, industry associations and government bodies reached a clear conclusion: the economic deployment of hydrogen buses in public transport is already a reality today.

Nearly 800 Fuel Cell Buses in Regular Operation

Across Europe, nearly 800 fuel cell buses are now operating in regular scheduled service. The vehicles are series-production ready and perform reliably on the same timetables as the diesel buses they replace — no compromise on punctuality or availability. The technology has proven its maturity in real-world conditions.

In the first half of 2025 alone, 279 hydrogen buses were newly registered in Europe — a 426% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Solaris leads the European market with a 58% share, followed by Wrightbus and CaetanoBus.

RFNBO Hydrogen Improves the Business Case

A central finding of the workshop is the role that RFNBO hydrogen plays in financial viability. Dennis Müller-Haensel (Air Liquide) demonstrated that fully renewable hydrogen is available in sufficient quantities. Philip Weykamp (GreenTrax) explained the economic leverage that Germany's greenhouse gas reduction quota (THG-quote) provides in practice: transport operators using hydrogen can credit their consumption through the quota system, significantly improving total operating costs.

Germany's THG-quote — the mandatory instrument for greenhouse gas reduction in the transport sector — is set to rise gradually to 65% by 2040, and now includes a specific sub-quota for RFNBO fuels such as green hydrogen. This makes the business case for operators concrete and plannable well into the future.

Charging Infrastructure: A Decisive Factor

The workshop openly acknowledged that battery-electric buses currently hold the largest market share in the zero-emission bus segment. In the first half of 2025, they accounted for 94.8% of new zero-emission registrations versus 5.2% for fuel cell buses. At the same time, participants emphasised that hydrogen buses are rapidly gaining ground on routes where charging infrastructure is scarce, charging times create operational bottlenecks, or grid congestion makes investment in fast chargers difficult. Refuelling with hydrogen takes a matter of minutes; the bus then runs its full operating shift without interruption.

Momentum: Funding Applications and Filling Stations

Momentum is substantial. Germany's Bundesministerium für Verkehr has launched a new funding call, and transport operators are actively preparing applications. Representatives of NOW GmbH, the Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen (VDV) and state energy agencies from Baden-Württemberg, Hesse and NRW confirmed the impressive market ramp-up underway.

On the infrastructure side, TEAL Mobility and H2 MOBILITY are working flat out to expand high-performance public hydrogen filling stations that are also accessible to coaches and public transport vehicles alongside freight trucks.

From Public Transport to Coach Travel

The workshop's conclusion is clear: public transport is leading the transition to hydrogen in heavy road transport. Now it is time for the coach sector to follow. The conditions are in place — vehicles, fuel and infrastructure are ready.

Sources:

• LinkedIn post: expert workshop "Wasserstoff im ÖPNV und Reiseverkehr", Air Liquide Krefeld
• Sustainable Bus — European fuel cell bus market data H1 2025
• Bundestag — THG-Quote amendment 2026 (electrive.net / bundesregierung.de)
• Intelligent Energy — Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses (June 2025)