Jury praises Solaris' exemplary commitment to the development of electric buses. Prize is awarded by Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) and insurance company DEVK under patronage of German Federal Minister of Transport. Solaris electric bus is available as midibus and in standard city bus length.
The Solaris Urbino electric city bus has been awarded the first EBUS Award for battery buses by Forum für Verkehr und Logistik. On behalf of the organisation, founded by the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) and insurance company DEVK, an expert panel under the patronage of German Federal Minister of Transport Dr Peter Ramsauer honoured forward-thinking technical solutions and concepts for their operation.
In the battery buses category, the jury awarded the prize to Solaris for "the exemplary commitment and the courageous progress in the development of electrically-powered public transport buses using batteries." The award was given to Solaris by State Secretary Rainer Bomba and accepted on behalf of the company by Małgorzata Olszewska, Member of the Board for Sales and Marketing.
Małgorzata Olszewska expressed her delight at this honour: "With its evaluation by top-class experts from politics, industry and science, the EBUS Award confirms our chosen path towards climate-friendly electric mobility and strengthens our resolve to continue our development. This secures sustainable mobility and quality of life in our cities for our own generation as much as for our children."
The Solaris Urbino electric was developed in cooperation with Vossloh Kiepe GmbH. The German specialist for electric traction systems supplies the powertrain. The midibus version recognised in the EBUS Award uses lithium-ion batteries to store up to 120 kWh of energy. The Urbino electric city bus is now also available in a standard-length, 12-metre version. Optimised for maximum range with a battery capacity of 210 kWh, this model is capable of running for 150 kilometres in the SORT 2 cycle.
The modular system is prepared for automated fast charging systems such as inductive power supply. This allows the batteries to be topped up along the route or at the terminus, eliminating problems of limited operational range.
The first operator to order the Solaris Urbino electric is Braunschweiger Verkehrs-AG from Germany. This Solaris electric bus, which will be delivered in 2013, is a part of a new drive technology pilot programme funded by the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development.
Information Solaris
Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o. is one of the leading producers of city and intercity buses in Europe. It focuses in particular on the development of zero-emission vehicles, i. e. electric and hydrogen buses as well as trolleybuses. This has resulted in the widest zero-emission product range in the European market and a leading position in this segment with a market share of 15.2%. Nearly 25,000 Solaris vehicles have been delivered so far and they ply the streets in 850 towns and cities across 33 countries located throughout Europe as well as beyond it. Solaris is part of the Spanish CAF Group (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles) S.A. From conception, to the design and manufacturing phases, all Solaris buses are produced in Poland. Moreover, all activities undertaken by the manufacturer are in line with the brand’s mission, which is reflected in the motto “We are changing the image of public transport”. Solaris also actively partners with public transport operators and provides them with comprehensive support in their transition to zero-emission mobility.
Additional information
Mateusz Figaszewski
E-mobility Development & Market Intelligence Director
mateusz.figaszewski@solarisbus.com
