The first hydrogen bus completely made in Italy is built and designed by Rampini S.p.A. The presentation of the new vehicle, “Hydron", powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, to authorities and the press was held at the Rampini production center in Passignano sul Trasimeno in Italy. Hydron is an eight meter long hydrogen bus and is capable of transporting up to 48 people.
The new Hydron is hydrogen-powered, produces no polluting emissions and has 450 kilometres of autonomy. It is 8 meters long and 2.20 meters wide and can travel at a speed of up to 70km/h and is available in a 2- or 3-door model. The bus has a high-performance battery with a fuel cell that powers the battery and is equipped with a rear-wheel drive electric motor which delivers maximum power output of 230 kW. The output of the fuel cell equals 30 kWh. The operating logics of the fuel cell and batteries are governed by the Energy Balance System. The capacity of the hydrogen tank is 10.8 kilograms.
Together with the new Hydron Rampini also unveiled two new zero-emission bus models: Sixtron, a six-meter electric bus designed to meet transportation needs in the small historic centers, and Eltron, the evolution of the known Rampini E80 model, the first electric bus built by Rampini. Sixtron is a 6 meter urban bus with a low platform. It can transport up to 31 passengers and has a range of about 250 km.
Eltron, after years of testing, has been sold in Italy and several European countries since 2010. Eltron has distinctive technical features including a narrow width, three doors, and a range of more than 300 kilometres. "A few years ago we made a precise and, for the time, counter-cultural choice: not to build diesel buses anymore." said Fabio Magnoni, general manager of Rampini S.p.A. The development of the three zero-impact bus models meant a 10 percent investment in research and development.