This year Hamburger Hochbahn announced a call for tender for the delivery of 530 12m and 18m (articulated) battery buses. Three potential manufacturers were officially shortlisted to deliver the buses and the results were announced today.
Solaris is among them. The vehicles will be ordered in tranches over the next 5 years. By 2025, the Hamburg transport operator's fleet is to be expanded by a total of 530 electric vehicles.
“With the order, we are laying an essential foundation stone for the complete conversion of our fleet to climate-friendly drives. For the first time in Germany, we also applied sustainability criteria in the tender. We want to take on a global responsibility in addition to our local responsibility. An important step on the way to real green mobility and a climate-neutral company”, said Henrik Falk, CEO of Hamburger Hochbahn.
Petros Spinaris, Deputy CEO of Solaris said “Being one of three key suppliers of a total of 530 electric buses for the customer from Hamburg is a great recognition for our achievements in e-mobility. It is a framework contract and the extent of the final order might vary. However I sincerely hope that Solaris will be delivering within the next four years both 12-metre buses and articulated ones, which will at the same time allow us to maintain our leading position on the market of electric buses in Europe,”
In its bid submitted to Hamburger Hochbahn, Solaris presented two bus models: the Urbino 12 electric and the Urbino 18 electric. In its version for the operator from Hamburg both vehicles will be fitted with Solaris High Energy+ high capacity batteries, engines integrated into the drive axle and facilities for plug-in charging.
Additionally the vehicles will feature thermal preconditioning during battery recharge. The buses will have features increasing the driver’s and passengers’ safety, such as blind spot assistance system that warns the driver about passers-by and cyclists who are close to the vehicle.
