Sustainable Bus Awards 2027: Solaris, BYD and Irizar–Scania win Urban, Intercity and Coach categories

The Solaris Urbino 18 Hydrogen New Generation, BYD B12.b HF and Irizar i6S Efficient Scania PHEV have won the three categories of the Sustainable Bus Awards 2027.

The awards were presented in Madrid on 23 September 2026 by the international Sustainable Bus Awards jury, comprising specialist journalists from ten European countries. Solaris received the Urban award, BYD took the Intercity category and the Irizar–Scania model was selected in the Coach category.

The assessment was based on technical documentation supplied by the manufacturers, in-depth product presentations and a comparative evaluation of the finalist vehicles. The three selected models use three different propulsion technologies: hydrogen fuel cells for the articulated urban bus, battery-electric propulsion for the intercity vehicle and plug-in hybrid technology for the coach.

The evaluation criteria cover vehicle and powertrain architecture, energy efficiency, safety, comfort and accessibility, connectivity, maintenance, lifecycle aspects of key components, environmental impact and overall value for the operator.

Solaris Urbino 18 Hydrogen New Generation wins the Urban category

The Solaris Urbino 18 Hydrogen New Generation, adopting the new Ballard FCmove-SC, received the Sustainable Bus Award 2027 in the Urban category. The articulated model combines a fuel-cell system with electric propulsion in a vehicle configuration developed for high-capacity urban services and routes with high daily mileages.

The evaluation recognized the overall balance of the project, the maturity of the Solaris platform and the integration of electric propulsion, operational range and short hydrogen refueling times.

The vehicle architecture limits the size and weight of the traction battery compared with a battery-electric configuration requiring onboard energy storage for the complete operating range. Passenger capacity remains a central element of the articulated platform.

The jury also included the vehicle’s modularity, accessibility provisions, onboard comfort and integration of safety and vehicle-management systems among the elements assessed.

The Solaris Urbino 18 Hydrogen New Generation is designed for applications in which high passenger capacity is combined with long daily operating distances, continuous vehicle availability and hydrogen refueling between operating cycles.

BYD B12.b HF and Irizar–Scania take the Intercity and Coach awards

The BYD B12.b HF won the Intercity category of the Sustainable Bus Awards 2027. The vehicle represents the battery-electric propulsion technology among the three winning models selected by the international jury.

The Irizar i6S Efficient Scania PHEV received the Sustainable Bus Award 2027 in the Coach category. The model uses plug-in hybrid technology for long-distance passenger transport operations.

The Sustainable Bus Awards jury therefore assigned the three 2027 category prizes to vehicles based on fuel-cell electric, battery-electric and plug-in hybrid powertrain configurations respectively.

The assessment methodology applied the same wider set of criteria to the finalists, covering the relationship between propulsion technology, vehicle architecture, passenger environment, operational requirements, maintenance, component lifecycle and environmental performance.

In brief

• Which buses won the Sustainable Bus Awards 2027?
  Solaris Urbino 18 Hydrogen New Generation, BYD B12.b HF and Irizar i6S Efficient Scania PHEV.
• Which categories did they win?
  Solaris won Urban, BYD Intercity and Irizar–Scania Coach.
• Which propulsion technologies are represented?
  Hydrogen fuel cell, battery-electric and plug-in hybrid propulsion.
• How were the finalists assessed?
  The jury used manufacturers’ technical documentation, in-depth presentations and comparative evaluation.

BYD B12.b HF wins in the Intercity category

The BYD B12.b HF won the Sustainable Bus Award 2027 in the Intercity category with a battery-electric architecture developed for regional and intercity applications.

The model uses BYD Blade Battery technology with LFP chemistry integrated into the chassis structure, with different battery capacities available according to the intended operating mission. The powertrain includes two wheel-hub electric motors, an integrated controller based on silicon carbide technology and thermal management, while the vehicle supports different charging solutions. BYD also equips the B12.b HF with ADAS functions, digital driver tools, remote monitoring and over-the-air software updates. Range, charging capability, luggage capacity and onboard comfort were also included in the jury’s assessment.

Irizar i6S Efficient Scania PHEV wins the Coach category

The Irizar i6S Efficient Scania PHEV received the Sustainable Bus Award 2027 in the Coach category with a plug-in hybrid configuration for tourist transport and long-distance operations. The vehicle combines the Irizar i6S Efficient body and interior configuration with Scania’s PHEV platform, allowing electric operation in urban areas, terminals and zero-emission zones while retaining a combustion engine for longer-distance services. The project also incorporates aerodynamic measures and weight reduction. The Scania powertrain provides four operating modes — Electric, Hybrid, Charge Sustain and Forced Charging — for energy management according to the route and charging strategy. Depending on configuration, the combustion engine is compatible with renewable fuels including HVO and biodiesel/FAME.

The assessment also covered the relationship between fuel consumption and emissions, charging requirements and the operational characteristics of long-distance coach services. Scania’s digital ecosystem provides functions for charging and range monitoring, driving-style analysis, predictive maintenance, remote diagnostics and fleet performance management.