Solaris is to deliver 22 electric buses to Italy

In the last weeks Solaris Bus & Coach has gained orders to deliver a total of 22 electric buses to Italy. Twelve of the new Urbino 12 electric will be delivered to ATB Bergamo and ten buses of the same type has been ordered by ATM Milano.

The Solaris Urbino 12 electric ordered by ATB Bergamo and ATM Milano are very similar constructions it terms of technical parameters. Owing to the win of this model in the prestigious ‘Bus of the Year 2017’ contest, its popularity continues to rise and the manufacturer from Bolechowo is gaining experience resulting in the growth of customers’ trust towards the new technology.

The supplier of the electric drive for the buses of both contracts is a Polish company – Medcom. The Urbino electric for the Italian market will be powered by AVE 130 axles with two 125 kW integrated traction motors. The electric power will be stored in a High Energy batteries pack with a total capacity of 240 kWh. In both vehicles the manufacturer will use the modern dashboard touch panel of its own design.

Despite similar drive and battery preferences, both carriers have chosen a different way of re-charging their emission-free buses. The ATB Bergamo’s Urbino 12 electric will use a Medcom plug-in charger with the ability to charge two vehicles simultaneously at 40 kW. On the other hand, ATM Milano chose a 70 kW on-board chargers from the same producer.

The passenger compartment offers a variety of amenities for the driver and the passengers. With ATB Bergamo, the passengers will be able to seat on one of 23 seats, 11 of which available from the low floor. The total capacity of the vehicle is 74 people and all of them will benefit from air conditioning with automatic temperature control. The interior of the vehicle will be illuminated using energy-saving LED technology. Furthermore, the producer will provide an ATS monitoring system consisting of a 7” monitor on a center console, a rear camera and cameras above doors. The vehicles’ equipment is to be complemented by the passenger information system to help the passengers find the right stop.

The ATM Milano has configured its vehicle in a way it will offer seats for 26 passengers, and 14 of them will be available from the low floor. The buses are also to be equipped with an efficient air conditioning. One of the elements improving safety on board is the sophisticated Fire Trace fire extinguishing system which includes.eg., the possibility of an automatic extinguishing of the traction container. Similarly to ATB Bergamo, the operator from Milan has also ordered an advanced monitoring system, consisting of 9 cameras, a rear camera, a 10” monitor on the center console and a data recorder. The vehicles will also provide a passenger counting system.

For Solaris, which has up to date delivered nearly 740 buses to Italy, the two new orders are an evidence of recognition from the Italian customers. It is from the Apennine Peninsula that the producer received the largest ever contract to deliver 300 InterUrbino buses with the option for purchasing another 60 to Cotral operator from Lazio region. The twelve new Urbino 12 electric for Bergamo will be the first buses from Bolechowo in the city. However, the buses are already well known in Milan, where between 2014-2015 Solaris delivered 125 Urbino 12 vehicles.