CNG Solaris buses in Paris

At the beginning of the year, Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. delivered the first pre-series Solaris Urbino 18 CNG to the French public transport company Régie autonome des transports Parisiens (RATP). This was the beginning of the contract signed in March 2016 between the Polish producer and the public transport operator in France. The total budget of the framework agreement amounted to EUR 20 million and included the delivery of up to 48 vehicles. RATP has just ordered the first part covering 18 buses.

The modern and ecological Solaris Urbino 18 CNG, 18 of which were ordered by a Paris-based operator, will arrive in the French capital at the turn of May and June 2019. The value of this part of the contract, constituting the first tranche of the contract, is nearly EUR 8 million. Among other things, thanks to the implementation of this contract, the total number of vehicles powered with compressed natural gas in the RATP fleet is to amount to 20%.

The articulated Solaris buses will be driven by engines dedicated to work with CNG fuel and automatic gearboxes equipped with the Eco program. This configuration of the propulsion unit will allow to obtain significant ecological benefits by significantly reducing the emission of harmful exhaust gases into the atmosphere. What is more, the engine compartment and the so-called engine tower will be additionally damped to increase the comfort of passengers traveling by bus but also to reduce the noise emitted by the vehicle to the outside. Five pieces of compressed natural gas storage cylinders, with a capacity of 340 liters each, will be placed on the roof in the front of the vehicle. Such an amount of accumulated fuel, assuming a reserve guaranteeing the minimum level of gas concentration, allows to drive about 400 km on one fueling. For safety reasons, the filling circuit will be equipped with a pressure gauge to control the pressure in the tanks and the CNG drive system itself will meet the most stringent safety standards.

The experience of Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. in the construction of gas-powered vehicles dates back to 2004. Since then, the company had delivered nearly 1,100 vehicles of this type, which can be met on the streets of 13 European countries, from Sweden through Central and Eastern Europe to France, Spain and Italy.

Solaris accustomed customers to matching its vehicles to their individual needs; it is no different in the case of buses for RATP from Paris. The articulated Urbino buses will be equipped with air conditioning, an extended version of the fire extinguishing system and transparent elements illuminating the interior of the vehicle. At the customer's individual request, an anti-attack, closed driver's cabin will also be installed. There will furthermore be an extensive monitoring system consisting of 8 cameras and a 10.4-inch monitor of the door monitoring system and a preview of the zone behind the vehicle. The Polish manufacturer will also install a passenger information system, which will include direction boards, internal LED monitors and voice announcement of stops.

The RATP’s Solaris Urbino 18 CNG will offer four pairs of double doors installed in the 2+2+2+2 system. Each of them will have passenger counting gates installed. The bus will accommodate 101 people at the same time, including 36 seated. For people with reduced mobility, there will be a kneeling function of the vehicle at the bus stop and an electronic ramp to facilitate the entry of a wheelchair or a stroller.

Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. has been present in France since 2003. Since then, it has delivered over 500 buses to the Seine, of which nearly 50 went to the capital of the country, Paris. Devoted to ecology, Paris also tested a new battery product from the Polish manufacturer at the beginning of 2016. It was the Urbino 12 electric, the same model that was announced the 2017 Bus of the Year. Also in 2016, the Polish Embassy in France awarded Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. the prize for the best domestic exporter.