The Urbino 18 DIWAhybrid combines the reliability of Solaris city bus design with state-of-the-art drive technology from Voith. The company, known until now primarily for the production of automatic transmissions for buses, has now, in cooperation with Solaris, developed a parallel hybrid system called DIWAhybrid.
– Together with our long-term partner, we have taken another step towards the development of ecological and economical means of public transport – says Solange Olszewska, CEO of Solaris Bus & Coach S.A., about the cooperation with Voith.
– In recent years, technologies aimed at reducing fuel consumption and making vehicles even more environmentally friendly have been the main area of our company’s interest. The Urbino 18 DIWAhybrid is the result of our joint work, which we hope will be appreciated by our customers – adds Dr. Volker Zimmermann, Managing Director of Voith Turbo.
The parallel DIWAhybrid drive system consists of an electric part developed by Voith Turbo and an internal combustion engine. The electric motor assists the combustion unit during moments of peak power demand. During braking, kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy. This, in turn, is stored in supercapacitors. The supercapacitors used in the Urbino 18 DIWAhybrid consist of five 125-volt modules capable of storing 0.5 kWh of energy. Their total weight is only 410 kg. The supercapacitors are mounted on the roof, and special housings make the vehicle look almost identical to traditional buses. The electric unit used in the DIWAhybrid, with a power of 150 kW, effectively relieves the combustion engine, allowing for the use of a Cummins ISB combustion engine with a capacity of only 6.7 liters and 250 HP, meeting the strict EEV emission standard. The entire hybrid system is 600 kg heavier than a traditional drive, which does not affect the bus’s capacity. The Urbino 18 DIWAhybrid can carry up to 161 passengers, including 51 seated.
In addition to Solaris and Voith, the German Federal Ministry of Transport and the government organization NOW (National Organization for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology) also participated in the work on creating the Urbino 18 DIWAhybrid. The first unit of the bus has been undergoing a series of tests at the Bochum-Gelsenkirchener Straßenbahnen AG (BOGESTRA AG) company since the end of February this year. By the end of the first half of the year, the carrier’s fleet will be expanded by 10 more Solaris Urbino 18 DIWAhybrid buses.