Zakopane enhances its eco-friendly municipal transport with zero-emission Urbino 12 electric buses

Zakopane has opted to purchase three Urbino 12 electric buses from the Solaris company. These modern buses powered by electric energy will arrive in the capital of the Tatra mountains within one year of signing the contract. The contract also includes the supply of two charging stations for the bus depot, two pantograph chargers, and one mobile charging device. All in all the contract amounts to just shy of PLN 12 million.

Three Solaris Urbino 12 electric buses will make their way to the city of Zakopane after the manufacturer won a tender. These state-of-the-art electric buses are locally completely emission-free. They perform excellently in metropolises’ centres as well as in smaller towns and cities. The vehicles selected by Zakopane are among the most popular models in Solaris’s portfolio. Passengers in dozens of European towns and cities have already borne witness to their qualities.

“Zakopane is one the most beautiful and most visited tourist destinations in Poland. We are very glad that more electric Solaris vehicles will serve both its residents and visitors. We are very proud that it is our vehicles that contribute to fostering zero-emission public transport in this unique location”, said Petros Spinaris, member of the Management Board of Solaris for Sales, Marketing and After Sales.

“One measure aimed at improving the quality of life of the local community is investments in public transport that are intended to provide an alternative for passengers and to encourage them to leave their cars on the outskirts of Zakopane and to use the broad range of public transport on offer”, noted Leszek Dorula, the mayor of the city of Zakopane.

The vehicles destined for Zakopane will be equipped with modern Solaris High Energy batteries with a capacity of over 350 kWh. Thanks to these high energy density batteries, and pantograph charging, the vehicles will be able to operate all day long without the need for long stoppages. They will be recharged using a plug-in connector or a pantograph mounted on the bus’s roof. The Urbino 12 electric buses ordered by the city of Zakopane will feature various cutting-edge solutions to aid the driver’s work. The MobilEye and MirrorEye systems will eliminate blind spots as well as reduced visibility caused by the freezing and fogging up of side-view mirrors. In the mountainous Podhale region, with its severe and changeable climate, it is particularly important that we ensure the best visibility for the driver. 

Passengers travelling in these modern electric buses will benefit from USB charging ports installed next to the seats, a passenger information system and ticket vending machines. Specifically with tourists in mind, the vehicles will boast bike hooks and, in the winter, ski racks too. Another novelty will be the second and the third vehicle door opening to the outside, which will facilitate the boarding and alighting of passengers during the peak tourist season.

The partnership between Solaris and the capital of the Tatra mountains dates back to 2013 when an electric Urbino bus was trialled in Zakopane. The vehicle operated, for example, on routes to Morskie Oko lake and to Kuźnice. In 2016, as part of an agreement concluded with municipal company TESKO, Solaris delivered four Urbino 8,9 LEs to Zakopane. These models, the shortest among Solaris’s zero-emission buses, were put into service on the first ever regular city bus routes in the city’s history.

In the photo, from the left: Leszek Dorula, Mayor of the City of Zakopane, Rafał Zajas, Sales Director of the Southern Region, Poland, Solaris Bus & Coach.