Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses Arrive in Vienna to Power Zero-Emission Transit Future

Vienna is gearing up to roll out ten brand-new Rampini Hydron hydrogen-powered minibuses in the heart of the city by September 2025—a first for the Austrian capital when it comes to fully embracing hydrogen on public transport.

Smaller Fleet, Bigger Impact

The sleek new minibuses will be hitting lines 2A and 3A, two of the busiest city center routes. Powered by cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cells, each bus is packed with a 175 kWh battery and a robust 230 kW motor, giving them a range of up to 350 km on a single fill-up. Thanks to their improved efficiency, city operator Wiener Linien is reducing the number of buses from 12 to 10 while still maintaining service quality.

Locally Sourced Green Hydrogen

What’s powering these zero-emission rides? Locally produced green hydrogen, made in a climate-neutral facility run by Wien Energie in Simmering. The hydrogen then gets delivered to the fleet by Wiener Netze, keeping things clean, efficient, and close to home. This is a big step forward in building out Vienna’s hydrogen infrastructure and moving toward truly sustainable energy solutions for urban transport.

Backed by Big Players

The project isn’t just driven by innovation—it’s also backed by serious investment. The €12 million initiative is co-funded by the European Union, Austria’s Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure, and Wiener Linien through the EBIN programme. It’s all part of aligning local action with broader national and EU goals to fight climate change and bring zero-emission technology to the streets.

With these new hydrogen minibuses, Vienna is not just modernizing public transport—it’s setting the pace for a cleaner, greener future in European city centers.