30 Solaris electric buses for Arriva’s West-Brabant region in the Netherlands

Solaris will deliver 30 electric buses to the operator Arriva in the Netherlands. 26 Urbino 12 electric and 4 articulated Urbino 18 electric will serve traffic in West-Brabant region and will join Arriva's fleet in 2025.

Solaris Bus & Coach will supply Arriva operator in Netherlands with of a total of 30 electric buses. 26 Urbino 12 electric and four articulated Urbino 18 electric 30 will serve public transport in West-Brabant region. The investment is part of Arriva's plan to make the entire bus fleet in the region zero-emission by the start of the new concession on the 6^th of July 2025. The buses are set to arrive to West-Brabant in the first half of 2025.

'Arriva's order of 30 electric buses is an important step towards greener mobility solutions in the Netherlands. We are very happy to continue our cooperation by introducing another zero-emission technology – besides hydrogen – to Arriva's fleet. We strongly believe that e-mobility is a key to the global transformation of transport,' said Olivier Michard, Chief Commercial Officer at Solaris Bus & Coach.

‘With the investment of these buses, we invest in the future. We take a huge step regarding our zero emission ambitions. Over 90 % of the public transport by bus in West-Brabant is electric, with no emission. It fits our ambition to work CO2 neutral in 2027,' said Jan Pieter Been, regional director Arriva Zuid.

Technical specifications and comfort

The buses that will be deployed in West Brabant are based on a new modular drive system architecture that eliminates the so-called engine tower. This design increases passenger space and allows for the placement of batteries solely on the roof. Both the 12-metre and 18-metre vehicles will have batteries with a capacity of approximately 400 kWh, charged via a plug-in socket. For added operating convenience, each bus will have two charging sockets – on the left and right side. The 30 buses for West-Brabant will be equipped with central traction engines.

In the contract the operator has opted for innovative driver amenities to increase safety and comfort. A comprehensive monitoring system will be available on board each bus, with Fisheye cameras observing areas in front of the vehicle and on its right side, as well as cameras in place of traditional side mirrors. Among the assistance solutions worth mentioning are a system alerting the driver to pedestrians and cyclists in the vicinity of the bus, a lane departure warning system and fatigue monitoring system. The elegantly finished and spacious interior will feature comfortable seating, onboard WiFi, and USB chargers for passengers to charge their phones.

Bravo, the brand

The Bravo brand will also be visible in the interior of the buses, next to the exterior. The branding colours red, purple and blue are visible in the seats, floors and bars of the buses. Also, part of the visible design is the heart shaped bravo logo.

Solaris is a European leader in e-mobility, ranking first in terms of the total number of zero-emission buses delivered since 2012. Urbino electric buses have already found hundreds of customers across Europe.