At the end of 2016, Solaris Bus & Coach delivered 12 modern and economical articulated buses to the local carrier in Leipzig – Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe (LVB) GmbH. In the beginning of Ferbuary, the buses were joined by another two Urbinos, designed to teach and train future drivers how to drive a bus.
The tender signed between the two parties included a delivery of two vehicles that the carrier would use to train candidates for the drivers. The buses are identical in terms of their configuration to the standard new Urbino buses that have been delivered at the end of 2016. Their characteristic feature is the removable platform with the instructor’s seat, which is mounted in the first door area. Therefore, the new Urbino buses can also be used in everyday traffic as a complementation of the fleet.
The comfort of the instructor in cold days is improved by additional hot air nozzles installed in the vertical part of the front sill. In order to secure the trainee’s and other road users’ safety, the instructor’s platform is equipped with acceleration and brake pedals as well as indicator control lights. Additional rear view mirrors ensure the instructor has similar visibility of the surroundings as the student driver. The whole is complemented by a monitoring system consisting of external cameras mounted in the top corners of the vehicle and two 7” monitors displaying both sides of the bus.
The new Solaris Urbino 18 buses, delivered at the end of 2016 are entirely low-floor, they offer even more space and comfort to their passengers. The safety and convenience of everyone on board is ensured by the monitoring system, air conditioning, LED lightening used in the interior of the bus, as well as large 18,5” passenger information displays. The driver’s area is equipped with a number of cutting-edge technical solutions which aim to help them to drive a bus for several hours on a daily basis. The producer used a driver-dedicated Konvekta KL20 KDE air conditioning, ventilated and heated seats and a personal belongings cabinet.
A state-of-the-art, 240 kW DAF/Paccar MX-11 240, Euro 6 compliable engine is used to drive the eighteen meter Solaris. One of its very useful features is the ‘cold start’ system, which enables starting the engine even during very low external temperatures. A Voith Diwa 6 gear box has been used as a complementation of the drive system, and ZF has been chosen as axles supplier.
Solaris has started the cooperation with LVB in 2004. 123 buses in total have been delivered to date, ranging from the producer’s shortest offer – Urbino 8,6 to an 18-metre Urbino Hybrid. Furthermore, the first Solaris Tram has been delivered to Leipzig in December, as the first of up to 41 that the manufacturer is contracted to deliver in a frame agreement from March 2015
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
