Temsa used Busworld to debut the HD Fuel Cell hydrogen fuel cell-electric coach developed in collaboration with CaetanoBus. It comes with a claimed range of up to 1,000km and, with the exception of roof-mounted hydrogen tanks, is visually almost identical to the HD12 sold in the UK.
The coach is described as “our masterpiece” by Temsa CEO Tolga Kaan Dogancioglu. As part of its driveline, the HD Fuel Cell comes with up to 160kW/h of battery capacity, and it offers a maximum of 53 seats within a 19,000kg GVW envelope. Fuel cell peak output is 180kW.
Hydrogen tanks are at the front of the vehicle and the fuel cell stack from Toyota is at the rear where an engine would otherwise be. Examination of the cab shows an area that is largely the same as the HD12, but with a digital dash binnacle that displays information specific to the hydrogen powertrain.
Mr Dogancioglu says that Temsa believes the HD Fuel Cell could “be the real future” for long-distance coaches.
He notes that its 1,000km endurance will remove range anxiety, although in the same vein as multiple other coach OEMs, Mr Dogancioglu adds that support from stakeholders for infrastructure will be needed if deployment is to be widespread.
The coach was shown with rear-view cameras and accompanied by literature that suggests it already complies with the European Union General Security Regulation. Up to 72.8kg of hydrogen can be carried, with working pressures of either 350 or 700bar.
The fuel cell stack has an expected lifetime of 35,000 hours, with power delivered to the wheels via a TM Sumo HD4 motor rated at 350kW. Production of the HD Fuel Cell is expected in 2025. Its development is part of work that Temsa says will leave it with an entirely electrified product range by 2040.
Further echoing the words of other senior industry figures, Mr Dogancioglu says that a challenging four years for the sector was amplified for Temsa by the earthquake that struck Turkey in February 2023. However, the business is now seeing rapid growth, with 2023 shaping up to deliver a 61% increase in volumes over 2022.
Temsa was not the only coach manufacturer active in the European market to show a hydrogen fuel cell-electric vehicle at Busworld, with Irizar debuting its prototype i6S Efficient Hydrogen model.
