Fleet operators in Seoul and Vienna will use TAM’s new 700-bar hydrogen fuel low-entry city bus for public transport services.

The bus model integrates a fuel cell system from Hyundai, hydrogen storage tanks, and a power control system.

H2 View understands that TAM Europe currently has an annual production capacity of 500 electric commercial vehicles. Over the next three years, it plans to produce around 100 hydrogen-powered vehicles per year.

Before the company went bankrupt in 2011, the Maribor-based manufacturer was one of the country’s largest vehicle producers. It was revived in 2013 after being acquired by China Hi-Tech Group Corporation (CHTC), part of state-owned Sinomach.

TAM Europe’s CEO, Ma Fuxiong, claimed the firm’s “breakthroughs in environmental protection and technology upgrading” have been key to its entry into the high-end European market.

“It fully embodies the forward-looking layout and strong cross-border collaboration driven by Chinese capital in global green technology and high-end manufacturing,” the CEO added.

China has emerged as the world’s most advanced market for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), building on decades of state support, an established electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing base, and increasing investment in green hydrogen.

While battery electric vehicles (BEVs) dominate today’s EV landscape, China is positioning FCEVs as a complementary solution, particularly for heavy-duty transport where BEVs face range and payload limitations.

Although other hydrogen applications have been slow to take off, buses are expected to lead the charge in hydrogen mobility.

Resato Hydrogen Technology CEO Rob Castien previously told H2 View that hydrogen-powered buses will drive near-term demand for refuelling infrastructure, as the sector is backed by a strong business case.