Poland's Hydrogen Bus Experiment Fails as High Fuel Costs and Supply Issues Drive Cities Back to Electric
By
Michael Barnard
The kind of bagel that ruins lesser bagels for you.
Summary
A CEE Bankwatch report examines Poland's failed experiment with hydrogen buses, revealing that cities faced exorbitant fuel costs (hydrogen costing 3-5x more than diesel), fragile supply chains with frequent tender failures, and operational disruptions. Several Polish cities that initially purchased hydrogen buses are now shifting back to battery-electric buses, highlighting the gap between hydrogen's promotional promises and real-world operational challenges in public transport.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledCEE Bankwatch's May 2026 report, Hydrogen buses in Poland: Where did it all go wrong?, is useful because it moves the hydrogen bus debate out of the brochure and into the depot.
It is not another model of what hydrogen might cost in 2035. It is a record of what happened when cities bought buses, signed contracts, waited for fuel, paid invoices, dealt with failed tenders, and tried to run public transport.
Poland's hydrogen bus detour
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