Three Solaris articulated e-buses will operate in Bonn for SWB

After Sileo, Bonn will welcome Solaris zero emission buses. The Polish brand has in fact won the tender for the supply of three articulated electric buses for the German city. It will be the first supply carried out by the manufacturer for the public transport operator of Bonn.

The customer has decided in favour of the Urbino 18 electric featuring the new generation of Solaris High Energy+ batteries in order to get the maximum range available. Pursuant to the agreement, the Solaris buses will venture out onto the streets of Bonn in 2020.

Solaris has already supplied 60 electric buses to Germany, and only in 2019 did German operators commission more than 120 of these with the Polish manufacturer.After Sileo, Bonn will welcome Solaris zero emission buses. The Polish brand has in fact won the tender for the supply of three articulated electric buses for the German city.

SWB Bonn, a plan for the electrification of bus transport

At the end of 2019, representatives of carrier SWB and of Solaris signed a contract for the supply of three Urbino 18 electric buses. These will make it to Bonn in 2020. It is the first contract of the producer for the customer SWB in Bonn for whom the electrification of bus transport is part of a complex plan for climate protection in the city. The point is that the electric buses will be fuelled only by so-called “green” energy, i.e. power derived from renewable sources.

At least 200 km on one charge

A key condition of the operator, Solaris points out, was that the producer ensures a range of 200 km for the buses on a single charge, regardless of weather and road conditions, over a period of 12 years. In order to meet those terms, Solaris went for the latest High Energy+ battery generation (the same that will be mounted on the recently announced Solaris Urbino 15 LE Electric). The buses for Bonn will feature 7 packs of batteries (built by Polish supplier BMZ for Solaris) with 553 kWh of total nominal capacity.

Electrically heating on Solaris for Bonn

The buses to roll out onto the streets of Beethoven’s city will be plug-in charged, with a connector dedicated above all to overnight charging at the bus depot. The driveline of the Urbino 18 electric will consist of an electric axle with two integrated motors boasting a power of 125 kW each, the well known ZF AxTrax. The fully emission-free vehicles will be purely electrically heated, whereas the temperature comfort in the buses will be ensured by air conditioning with a heat pump which uses heat from outside to reach an adequate temperature within the vehicle.

Safety in the spotlight

In its order for new buses, the carrier from Bonn has opted for modern driver assistance systems. That is why safety in the electric Solaris will be improved by the System MobilEye Shield+. This device allows the driver to spot more thanks to cameras placed outside of the vehicle. These cameras detect pedestrians and cyclists staying in the blind spot of the vehicle, which is vital during turns. What is more, in one of the buses the customer decided to install cameras improving visibility in lieu of side mirrors.

New seat layout for SWB

Interestingly enough, for SWB’s needs, Solaris has designed a completely novel seat layout which envisions placing an additional platform with a bench for three passengers in the rear of the vehicle. This solution allowed to raise the number of seats on board of the bus to 44, of which 12 will be accessible from the lower floor. For its passengers’ convenience, the carrier offers 21 double USB ports for the recharging of mobile devices, and a separate port will be available to the driver.