Solaris presents electric articulated bus Solaris Urbino 18 electric with inductive charging system. Four articulated electric Solaris buses will have their debut in this year in Braunschweig. Solaris is also launching the Urbino 18,75 electric with fuel cells as a range extender.
The configuration of the drive technology of electric Solaris buses, their batteries and charging equipment may be exactly matched to their operators’ requirements. Solaris engineers are designing vehicles according to the demands and the routes the Urbino electric will be used on. They choose the right technology: adequate length of the bus, motor power rating, capacity of batteries and charging system can all be specified. The result is an Urbino electric that is perfectly suited to the expectations of its operator, adjusted to its route profile and offers huge operational possibilities.
One bus tailored to customers requirements in this way is the Solaris Urbino 18 electric presented at IAA Commercial Vehicles 2014. It is one of four articulated Solaris buses that will go to Braunschweiger Verkehrs-GmbH right after the exhibition. This 18-metre bus is fitted with 90 kWh batteries. The wireless Primove fast charging system allowed Solaris to equip the buses with relatively small batteries, mounted on the roof above the rear axle. The buses have no typical engine tower which helps to save space and offer more than 50 seats.
At the heart of the drive system of the Urbino electric are a 240 kW traction motor and Bombardier inductive charging system. Under the floor there is a device that picks up wireless charging energy from inductive chargers fitted in specially designed bus stop infrastructure. A few minutes are enough to top up the batteries and continue the journey freely.
The four Solaris Urbino 18 electric for Braunschweig will be put into regular service on route M19. The vehicles will appear in Braunschweig as part of the "emil" project. It is an acronym for the German words for "Electromobility through inductive charging". The aim of the project is to popularize widespread use of electric vehicles with inductive charging systems.
In the long term, it is hard to imagine a better solution for public transport than noiseless articulated electric buses, vehicles that need several times less energy than their equivalents powered by diesel engine.
The Braunschweig contract for the delivery of electric articulated buses is not the only one concluded by Solaris. Hamburg will soon see electric vehicles in service. Two Urbino 18.75 electric are ready to be handed over to operator Hamburger Hochbahn. With them, Solaris adds a new innovative solution to its product range. The vehicles for Hamburg will be equipped with a 120 kWh battery and will use Ballard 101 kW fuel cells as a range extender. The fuel cells will be used only when 100% of stored energy is required which will significantly increase their durability. The batteries will remain the main energy provider to the drive system and will be charged by the fuel cells during operation. It will make the electric bus similarly efficient to diesel buses. Battery charging cycles will be preprogrammed. The bus will be fuelled with hydrogen once a day in the depot. It will be ready to cover 300 km per day.
Solaris consistenly meets its target to grow the share of electric buses among the all buses sold. This is primarily thanks to contracts on the German market. Solaris will deliver four inductively-charged Urbino 12 electric to the BVG of Berlin. The version with a quick charging system with a pantograph mounted on the roof found its first buyer. This Solaris Urbino 12 electric was purchased by Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe AG. Electric buses will appear also soon run in Düsseldorf and in the Swedish town of Vasteras.
Anyone interested in Solaris’ state-of-the-art electric bus technology should take a journey around Germany. A trip starting in Düsseldorf, continuing via Braunschweig, Hamburg and Berlin to reach its end in Dresden may be an excellent opportunity to see in practice how competitive and attractive Urbino electric are. This experience will allow anybody to appreciate the width of Solaris’ offer in this innovative and future-oriented area of transport.
Additional information:
Solaris Bus & Coach is a major European producer of city, intercity and special-purpose buses as well as low-floor trams. Since the start of production in 1996, over 11 000 vehicles have already left the factory in Bolechowo near Poznań. They are running in 28 countries. Despite its young age, Solaris has become one of the trendsetting companies in its industry. For many years it has been the indisputable leader among the suppliers of city buses in Poland as well as one of the largest suppliers of city buses in Germany.
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
