By the end of this year, two Solaris Urbino 8,9 LE electric buses will arrive in French city of Frontignon, located on the south coast of the country. The emission free vehicles will use the traditional plug-in technology to charge their 160 kWh batteries. France will therefore become the eight European country to benefit from the state of the art, most ecological and technically sophisticated products from Solaris.
Two emission free and astonishingly quiet Urbino 8,9 LE buses will be delivered to Frontignon in the middle of December. The city transport operator, Thau Agglo, decided to purchase the buses after the positive tests of the 8,9 meter Solaris buses which took place in the city in the beginning of 2017. Both of the buses will be equipped with 160 kWh High Energy batteries that will be charged by a 80 kWh charger, delivery of which was a part of the contract. 160 kWh central motors will be the source of the drive in the battery buses. They will ensure the dynamic and comfortable driving of the vehicles.
Both buses will be equipped with several comfort and safety enhancing features, such as air conditioning, ecological LED lightening and monitoring system. The total amount of battery buses contracted by Solaris, including the two for Frontignon, has risen to 116. That puts the Polish manufacturer in the European top, regarding the electric buses sales.
The environmentally friendly public transport was at the center of Solaris' interest since the very beginning of its operation. The company has invested heavily in the development of electromobility by introducing new and more ecologically-friendly technologies, from trolleybuses, hybrid buses, trams, to fully electric buses. The culmination of these efforts was the ‘Bus of the Year 2017’ title, won by the new Solaris Urbino 12 electric bus.
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
