Poznań, new investments on electric public transport. 37 Solaris buses ordered

MPK Poznań bus fleet, by the end of 2021, will be featuring a total of 58 electric buses, according to the order just secured with Solaris for 37 Urbino Electric. These vehicles will 21 units already delivered. The new order is made of 31 12-meter buses and 6 articulated vehicles. Value? Over 90 million net PLN (some 20 million euros). Deliveries in Poznań (just some 20 km far from Solaris headquarter in Bolenchowo) will begin in autumn 2021.

Solaris is one of the leading electric bus producers in Europe. At the moment, the Polish company’s order volume comprises about 1,000 emission-free vehicles that the producer has already sold to 18 countries, Solaris points out. Poland ranks fifth in Europe as regards the total number of electric buses in cities. And 70 per cent of e-buses for Polish market have been delivered by Solaris.

Solaris electric buses in Poznań

The residents of Poznań have been able to travel by battery buses made by Solaris for a few months now. 21 units of that type were delivered to MPK at the end of 2019 and at the beginning of 2020. Thanks to the new investment the electric fleet of the operator will be enlarged. New emission-free vehicles will operate on lines in densely populated city districts, which will translate to cleaner air and better life quality of the residents.

Fast pantograph chargers for Poznań Solaris e-bus fleet

All 37 vehicles will be equipped with Solaris High Power batteries designed for fast charging. The Urbino 12 vehicles will feature 4 packs with a capacity of over 120 kWh, whereas the articulated units will be fitted with 6 packs boasting a capacity of over 180 kWh. Throughout the day the batteries will be recharged by means of one of a few fast pantograph chargers located at the bus terminals Os. Sobieskiego and Os. Garbary, where additional chargers will be set up in the future.

Charging devices will also be installed at the terminal Górczyn and the bus depot at Kacza street (currently, at night the electric vehicles are charged via a plug connector at the bus depot at Warszawska street).

New technology at the inverter level

The freshly ordered Solaris buses will be equipped similarly to their predecessors. The driveline of the Urbino electric will consist of an electric axle with two integrated motors boasting a power of 125 kW each, made by ZF. As a novelty the bus will be fitted with a traction inverter produced in the innovative SiC technology, i.e. using silicon carbide, which will allow to reduce the energy consumption in the bus, Solaris points out.

The air-conditioned buses will be monitored by a system of indoor cameras and, for the first time in buses for Poznań, also, of outdoor cameras monitoring the right side of the bus and the pantograph. For the passengers’ comfort there will be a comprehensive passenger information system available on board consisting of readable modern destination displays, interior displays, a voice announcement system and screens displaying information generated by the operator. Completely low-floor vehicles will have a dedicated room for wheelchairs. They will also feature space for bicycles and USB charging ports as well as external door lighting.

Solaris: we believe that the future of public transport will be electric

“We strive to make public transport, both by bus and tram, increasingly accessible, attractive and ecological. In this day and age of environmental degradation, of cumbersome exhaust emissions and noise pollution in cities, e-mobility is a necessity“, says Wojciech Tulibacki, CEO of MPK Poznań Sp. z o.o.

“In Solaris we believe that the future of public transport will be electrically-powered, and therefore we are very pleased that MPK Poznań decided to transform its fleet opting for emission-free Urbino electric buses. Investments in sustainable urban transport will allow for a high quality of air in the city and the quality life of its residents, which makes Poznań one of the most modern metropolises in Europe“, said Petros Spinaris, Vice-President of Solaris Bus & Coach S.A., upon signing the contract.

Solaris Urbino Electric for Poznań

“This is very good news for the city and its inhabitants. Further electric buses mean even more ecological public transport, cleaner air, and therefore better quality of life, and this is what we care about most”, says Jacek Jaśkowiak, Mayor of the City of Poznań. “It is not yet a year since the first e-buses came to Poznań, and more are being bought. This shows the consistency of the City and MPK Poznań in efforts to improve living conditions in the city. It is worth emphasizing that these activities are part of a wider program. We are currently preparing the Strategy for the Development of Electromobility for the City of Poznań by 2035. The main goal of the program is to support the development of the broadly defined electromobility policy and sustainable development of transport and mobility in Poznan”, he adds.