Solaris ihas been awarded an order for 130 of its articulated Urbino 18 electric buses to City transport operator Miejskie Zakłady Autobusowe Warszawie (MZA). The order has a total value of nearly PLN 400 million (€ 94 million). The buses are to be delivered to Warsaw, capital of Poland, in 2020.
This order is the biggest ever tender to be granted to one manufacturer for electric buses in Europe. Solaris have supplied 60 cities in 17 countries with electric vehicles.
Javier Calleja, CEO of Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. commented “Solaris takes huge pride in winning such a large tender for the delivery of electric buses. We have been consistently pursuing our strategy, grounded in the development of zero-emission vehicles, for many years now.
What makes us glad above all else is that our company contributes to the improvement of the quality of life of the residents of Warsaw”.
“The order for these 130 electric articulated buses is supported by European funds. In two years time, we will have a fleet of nearly 400 zero and low-emission buses”, said Jan Kuźmiński, CEO of Miejskie Zakłady Autobusowe Sp who will operate them in Warsaw.
The 130 articulated electric Urbinos for MZA will be fitted with Solaris High Power batteries with a capacity of 150 kWh, and for which the manufacturer grants a seven-year warranty. Charging is done through the plug-in connections and by means of pantographs. The bus will feature two charging sockets: one above the right wheel arch and the other placed behind the rear door. Boasting over 400 kW of power, the fast-charging stations will be deployed in various corners of the city. The supply of the charging infrastructure is the object of a separate tender.
The interior and furnishing of the bus is well-known to MZA passengers and complies with the strict standards of the public transport authority ZTM.
The driver’s cabin will be completely separated from the passenger area; the bus will be air-conditioned and will feature a comprehensive passenger information system.
So far Solaris has delivered over 1000 city buses to Warsaw, including 20 electric ones.
