Delivery of 20 new Solaris electric buses for MPK Kraków completed

Solaris has successfully fulfilled another contract for the delivery of electric buses to MPK Kraków, Poland. Cracow’s fleet has just welcomed 20 units of the Urbino electric, including 13 twelve-meter vehicles, and 7 articulated vehicles. The total value of the contract concluded as a result of a tender, stands at almost EUR 16 million.

Less than a year after signing the contract with MPK Kraków, Solaris has completed the delivery of a total of 20 electric buses, comprising thirteen units of the Urbino 12 electric and seven articulated Urbino 18 electric buses. The official handover of the buses was attended by Jacek Majchrowski, Mayor of Cracow, representatives of Cracow public transport operator MPK SA, and Solaris.

The new electric buses have expanded the existing fleet of 76 emission-free Solaris buses, some of which have been operating on the city streets since 2016. The collaboration between Solaris and the transport operator has spanned almost a quarter of a century, with the manufacturer having delivered over 550 vehicles to Cracow.

"For almost 10 years, we have been continuously investing in the purchase of zero-emission buses. The acquisition of 20 new vehicles means that we now have 99 electric buses in Krakow, operating on 15 regular routes, not only during the day but also at night," said Jacek Majchrowski, the Mayor of Cracow.

"We are extremely proud of our partnership with MPK Kraków. Our long-standing presence on the streets of Kraków speaks volumes about the trust in the Solaris brand. Thanks to the latest deliveries, we can continue our mission of creating a cleaner and more sustainable future for public transport. The new electric buses will provide comfortable and emission-free journeys for an even larger number of passengers," said Andrzej Sienkiewicz, Sales Director at Solaris Bus & Coach Sp. z o.o.

"The new zero-emission buses will be deployed on additional routes, not only within the city center but also, for example, during the holiday period, on line number 300 to Balice Airport and line number 304 to Wieliczka," said Rafał Świerczyński, President of the Management Board of MPK SA in Cracow.

The energy storage system in the new buses consists of Solaris High Energy batteries with a total capacity of nearly 300 kWh in the 12-meter units, and over 400 kWh in the articulated Urbino vehicles. What is more, each busis adapted for both charging using a plug-in connector and pantograph charging. To boost the buses efficiency and to reduce energy consumption even further, the propulsion system in both models employs innovative SiC technology, i.e. using silicon carbide-based circuits.

The shorter buses offer space for 81 passengers, whereas the articulated units can carry 141 people. All systems and devices installed in the vehicles are powered solely by electricity. Additional equipment includes e.g. a complete video surveillance system, a comprehensive passenger information system, air-conditioning, USB ports, and an electrical heating system. Moreover, the Urbino electric buses destined for Cracow will feature an innovative AVAS (Acoustic Vehicle Alert System) system to alert pedestrians to the presence of these incredibly quiet electric vehicles.

The total value of the contract stands at almost EUR 16 million. The investment is co-financed by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.

Photos: Grzegorz Mental.

In the photos: Photo 5: Krzysztof Musiał, Sales Director at Solaris Bus & Coach, Jacek Majchrowski, Mayor of Cracow. Photo 6: Andrzej Sienkiewicz, Sales Director at Solaris Bus & Coach. Photo 7: Rafał Świerczyński, President of the Management Board of MPK SA in Cracow.