The year 2017 in Poland is abundant in tenders for electric buses. Just in the last few months, Solaris Bus & Coach has signed new contracts for the delivery of electric buses for: Chodzież, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Sosnowiec, and Września.
Polish public transport operators have been investing for several years in public transport vehicles with alternative drive systems that successfully replace traditional internal combustion engines. This is a trend that we observe on a large scale in many European and global metropolitan areas, and since 2016, it has become increasingly noticeable in Poland as well. The first fully battery-powered Solaris buses were boasted by: Ostrołęka, Inowrocław, and Jaworzno, where these zero-emission vehicles have been operating since 2015. The group of cities where Polish-made electric buses operate also includes Kraków, where five battery-powered Urbino buses have been running since 2016. Positive experiences from the operation of these innovative vehicles have prompted the management boards of municipal transport companies in Kraków and Jaworzno to increase their fleets. Later this year, another 20 electric buses will be delivered to Kraków, and 22 to Jaworzno.
When mentioning electric buses, one cannot forget about Warsaw, where 10 battery-powered Solaris buses have been running for two years. In recent days, the Solaris offer was once again selected as the most advantageous, and thus MZA Warszawa will expand its fleet at the beginning of 2018 with another 10 fully zero-emission electric buses.
Smaller centers are also investing in public transport based on electric buses. The Municipal Transport Company in Chodzież and the Września municipality decided on the Solaris Urbino 8.9 LE electric model. Both cities purchased one unit each to test the latest technology and, most likely, to decide on further battery-powered buses in the future. Twin-like vehicles for Września and Chodzież will be equipped with a 160 kW central motor and an electric drive from the Polish company Medcom. The buses will have the same 160 kWh capacity batteries, which will be charged via a Plug-In connector. The Greater Poland cities decided on similar equipment for the buses, which will feature many amenities for passengers and the driver, including WiFi, USB chargers, and reversing sensors. An additional accessory increasing safety in the Solaris for Września will be an alcolock, which checks the driver’s sobriety before each start of the vehicle. In turn, the electric bus for Chodzież will be equipped with passenger counting gates so that the operator can keep accurate statistics on which travel times are most preferred by residents.
The Municipal Transport Company from Sosnowiec signed a contract for the delivery of three new Solaris Urbino 12 electric buses, and the Municipal Transport Company from Ostrów Wielkopolski for four such vehicles. The battery-powered Solaris buses for these cities will have similar equipment. Like the vehicles for Chodzież and Września, they will be equipped with a 160 kW central motor and a Medcom electric drive. However, unlike the Solaris 8.9 LE electric, they will have batteries with a larger capacity of 200 kWh. In both cases, the vehicles will be charged using an external charger via a Plug-In connector. In addition, the buses will be structurally adapted for the installation of a 200 kW pantograph thanks to a specially prepared installation. An air-conditioned passenger compartment and an automatic heating control system will ensure travel comfort in all weather conditions.
This year’s deliveries of a total of 42 electric buses for Jaworzno and Kraków and the signing of contracts for the delivery of 9 battery-powered buses for: Chodzież, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Sosnowiec, and Września are further proof that the new era of public transport in Poland is beginning to gain momentum. Solaris Bus & Coach has been producing battery-powered buses since 2011. Today, besides Poland, they operate in dozens of cities in countries such as: Austria, Finland, France, Spain, Germany, Sweden, and Norway. In 2016, the new Solaris Urbino 12 electric was chosen as the best city bus in Europe and received the title of “Bus of The Year 2017”.