The Urbino 12 electric demonstrates Solaris’s offer of innovative battery buses. Modular drivetrain and different charging solutions tailor the bus to requirements. Electric mobility has been a key area of Solaris’s expertise for more than ten years. Solaris is EU leader in trolleybuses and has the largest offer of hybrid buses.
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The Solaris Urbino 12 electric
The fully low-floor twelve-metre electric bus uses the well-proven Solaris Urbino 12 as a basis, while its drive technology already benefits from experience gained during tests of the shorter model, whose premiere took place in autumn 2011.
The configuration of the drive technology of the Urbino 12 electric is exactly matched to its operators’ requirements. At the heart of its drive system are a four-pole, asynchronous traction motor and lithium-ion batteries developed and packaged with the involvement of Solaris's own engineering teams. Their power and capacity can be adapted to the route on which the bus is to be used. The batteries are the source of energy not just for the motor, but also feed all auxiliary systems, including air-conditioning and heating, steering pump and the electrically-powered doors. Components conventionally fed by compressors powered by the diesel engine have been replaced with electric counterparts.
Different charging solutions
Solaris offers three different charging solutions for the Urbino electric. These allow the bus to be adapted to the infrastructure that operators have or may install. The first solution is a plug-in connection, which can be specified as a DC connection with external charging station or as an AC connection with an on-board charger. Secondly, inductive charging is available for Solaris Urbino electric buses. Under the bus, a dedicated pick-up coil is fitted, which receives energy from inductive coils mounted under the surface of the road at termini or bus stops along the route. Like inductive charging, Solaris's latest solution is an automatic system that does not require drivers to leave their cab. This roof-mounted solution automatically connects to charging stations mounted at the end of the line or at bus stops. After a short but powerful recharge, the batteries will be sufficiently topped up for the bus to continue to the next charging point, thus enabling all-day operation without range restrictions.
Experience and first orders
Solaris electric buses have been demonstrated and successfully tested in over 30 European cities, in different road and weather conditions. Experience gained through those tests helped to tailor Solaris’s offer to individual operators’ needs and adjust it to different infrastructure requirements. The first orders for Solaris’s battery buses come from cities in Austria and Germany. By the end of 2013, a Solaris Urbino 8.9 LE electric will have been delivered to Klagenfurt, while its standard-length counterpart will start services in Braunschweig. Further orders came from Düsseldorf and again Braunschweig which bought two Solaris Urbino 12 electric each.
Award-winning technology
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.
Additional information:
Mateusz Figaszewski
Head of Public Relations
mateusz.figaszewski@solarisbus.com
Mobile: +48 601 652 179
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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
