Volvo Polska has delivered another eight of the thirty-five hybrid-drive buses ordered by PKM Sosnowiec. The Volvo buses are the first articulated hybrids received by a Polish carrier. This is also the largest single delivery of hybrid-drive vehicles in Poland.
As part of the contract concluded with the Sosnowiec municipal transport company, Volvo will deliver a total of 35 hybrid city buses – 25 short (MAXI) and 10 articulated (MEGA), all manufactured in Poland at the Volvo factory in Wrocław. To date, Volvo has already delivered 17 vehicles to Sosnowiec, and the entire contract will be completed by the end of October. The MAXI-type buses (Volvo 7900H) can accommodate 90 passengers, including 26 seated, while the MEGA-type (Volvo 7900LAH) can accommodate 130 passengers, including 41 seated. On board, there are amenities such as air conditioning for the passenger area, USB chargers, free Wi-Fi internet access, monitoring, and a passenger information system.
– We are very pleased that the residents of Sosnowiec will be traveling on modern and, just as importantly, eco-friendly Volvo buses. Our hybrids consume 30 to 40 percent less fuel and emit 40 to 50 percent fewer exhaust gases compared to similar diesel-powered buses. They are also very quiet. All this makes them much friendlier to the environment than traditional diesel-powered buses and they work perfectly in cities – said Małgorzata Durda, Director of Volvo Buses for Poland and the Baltic States.
Both types of buses are equipped with engines with a capacity of 5132 cc and 240 hp, Volvo I-Shift automatic transmissions, and a parallel hybrid drive (which means that the diesel engine and the electric motor can operate independently of each other) with a power of 150 hp (Volvo 7900H) and 175 hp (Volvo 7900LAH). The batteries are charged with energy generated during braking. Volvo hybrid buses are produced in Poland – their serial production began at the company’s Wrocław factory in 2010. So far, over 2,000 hybrids have been sold to public transport operators in over twenty countries. In Poland, apart from Sosnowiec, Volvo hybrid buses operate in Wrocław, Inowrocław, Tarnowskie Góry, and Warsaw.