Solaris Bus & Coach begins 2019 with very good information from the French market. For the first time in its history, the company won a contract for the supply of trolleybuses in this country. In accordance with the terms of the tender, Solaris will deliver a total of 22 trolleybuses to Saint-Etienne between 2019 and 2022. The value of the contract is over EUR 17 million.
The contract includes the delivery of a total of 22 Solaris Trollino 12 trolleybuses of a 12-meter length. The vehicles will be equipped with a Skoda drive system. In addition to the traditional drive, the Trollino for Saint-Etienne will be equipped with batteries with a capacity of over 40 kWh, which will allow the trolleybuses to drive outside the traction network. In addition, the Solaris vehicles produced for the customer from France will be equipped with air conditioning, monitoring, the so-called “anti-aggressive drivers’ cabin” and an innovative interior lighting system that will be partially mounted in the passenger handrails. The Solaris Trollino 12 for Saint-Etienne will be produced in the "facelift” version, which is the standard for all Solaris vehicles from January 2019.
In line with the agreement, five of the vehicles ordered by the operator will be delivered to Saint-Etienne by the end of 2019, five more in 2020 and the remaining part will arrive in France in 2021-2022. What is more, the contract includes an option of increasing the order by a further two trolleybuses.
The Solaris company made its debut on the French market in 2003. Since then, it has supplied over five hundred buses to operators from the Seine. These were both conventional and hybrid vehicles, as well as electric and gas-powered buses. The Saint-Etienne contract is the first one that concerns the delivery of trolleybuses to France and is a part of a strategy for the development of electromobility, which is one of the main areas of development for Solaris in the coming years.
Information Solaris
Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o. is a leading producer of city and intercity buses in Europe. It focuses on the development of low-emission and zero-emission vehicles, i. e. electric and hydrogen buses as well as trolleybuses. Over 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. All activities undertaken by the company are in line with its mission, which is reflected in the brand’s promise: to change 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. Solaris products have been repeatedly awarded for quality and innovation. The Urbino 18 hydrogen bus has won the prestigious 'Bus of the Year 2025' title.
Additional information
Mateusz Figaszewski
Institutional Partnerships and External Relations Director
mateusz.figaszewski@solarisbus.com
