Solaris on 2017 Busworld trade show

This year’s edition of Europe’s largest bus exhibition, Busworld, will take place from 20-25 October. As usual, Solaris Bus & Coach has prepared product novelties for the occasion. They will include low- and zero-emission vehicles, as well as a traditional propulsion driven bus.

The Polish bus manufacturer has continued to participate in the largest bus exhibition in Europe, Busworld, every two years since 2001. In October, a small town of Kortrijk, located in the Flamish part of Belgium just off the French border turns into the European capital of the bus industry for over a week. It is a place where many premieres take place. Solaris has also prepared a new offer for the fair guests.

The premiere Solaris Urbino 18 electric is based on the construction of the new generation Urbino which the passengers have already made an acquaintance with after its première in 2014. Up until now the articulated bus variant has been available with a diesel engine only. As of this year, the Urbino family will gain a new member - the 18-metre zero-emission bus.

Displayed at the Kortrijk trade, the articulated electric bus will be fitted with a ZF drive axle with integrated electric motors. Its energy storage system consists of 240 kWh Solaris High Power batteries. In the case of the model presented at Busworld, the batteries can be charged either by means of a plug-in connector or via a roof-mounted pantograph. Owing to the reduced unladen weight of the vehicle and a well-balanced distribution of axle load, the passenger capacity of the presented vehicle totals 135 people. This is, of course, only one of the many options available to customers, because, as usual, Solaris is extremely flexible with regard to the needs of the operators.

The interior design is one of many elements that can be fine-tuned to the expectations of carriers. The same applies to the battery capacity or the way these are recharged. All of these efforts are to make Solaris buses more functional and economical depending on existing conditions. What is important for operators, the new-generation articulated Solaris Urbino electric 18 is not only a test version presented on trade fairs. Rather, it is a mature serial product. Even before the Busworld fair the first buses of the new model were delivered to customers. One of those who purchased the new bus is the Cracow-based MPK to whom Solaris has supplied 20 electric buses in total this summer. Seventeen of these were 12 meters long; the three remaining ones were articulated buses.

The second vehicle to be presented by Solaris during the Busworld is the new Solaris Urbino 12 with a serial hybrid drive. 

The supplier of the hybrid unit HybriDrive is an American manufacturer - BAE Systems. The environmentally-friendly drive allows to significantly reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emission into the atmosphere. It is made possible by an electric engine fuelled with power from a power storage facility. That facility, in turn, is charged with the help of a generator using a low-capacity (4.5 litres) Cummins diesel engine (a 210 HP Cummins ISB4.5E6).

The new Solaris hybrid Urbino 12 is also available as a zero emission option, which makes the vehicle similar to an electric bus. Owing to the installation of the Stop-and-Go system, the diesel engine turns off completely during stopovers at bus stops and the opening of doors, but it turns on again immediately after the supercapacitors run out of power.

A GPS including corresponding software that allows for the activation of the Arrive-and-Go function has been installed in the vehicle, too. This option allows to switch off the diesel engine even as the bus is approaching a bus stop. Various tests have shown that owing to this environmentally-friendly solution the bus is able to use up to 20 percent less fuel than similar vehicles with a conventional drive would use. Moreover, the engine operates so quietly that the noise level can be reduced significantly, which comes in handy in particular in crowded city centres.

The third vehicle presented on the Solaris stand will be the new Solaris Urbino 10,5. The main advantages of that bus are its small external dimensions and its excellent manoeuvrability thanks to which it is extremely effective both in small towns, as well as on the narrow, cramped streets of many European metropolises. The vehicle was built on the basis of a 12-meter Solaris modules, but the bus has been shortened by 1.5 meters between the first door of and the second axle compared to the new Urbino 12. Shortening the construction of the bus required also a reduction of the wheelbase from 5,900 mm to 4,450 mm.

A 209 horsepower Cummins ISB6.7E6C engine has been installed in the model showcased at the fair. However, just like in the Urbino 12 diesel, it is possible to install a DAF MX11 drive unit instead. Both solutions guarantee dynamic and economical driving. The engines meet highly restrictive Euro 6 emissions standards. In spite of its small dimension, the bus is doing very well on busier routes, too, with its 23 seats six of which can be accessed from the low floor. The passengers’ comfort during a ride is ensured by a highly efficient air conditioning system, modern LED lighting (amber-coloured) and USB ports for charging mobile devices, located in the handrails.

We take this opportunity to invite you to a Solaris stand in Hall 4 on 20-25 October. There will also be a press conference held on 19 October at the same stand.