First Solaris buses in Bonn will be electric

Solaris has won a tender for the delivery of three articulated electric buses to Bonn. It will be the first supply carried out by the manufacturer for operator SWB in Bonn. The customer has decided in favour of the Urbino 18 electric featuring the new generation of Solaris High Energy+ batteries. Pursuant to the agreement, the Solaris buses will venture out onto the streets of Bonn in 2020.

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.

A key condition of the operator 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 buses for Bonn will feature 7 packs of batteries with 553 kWh of total nominal capacity. With such a capacity, the vehicle will be able to cover the required 200 kilometres irrespective of weather or road conditions, with the heating or the air-conditioning switched on and with a full set of passengers on board. The offer of Solaris covers not only the production of vehicles but also a warranty package.

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 fully emission-free vehicles will be purely electrically heated, whereas the temperature comfort in the buses will be ensured by an efficient and environmentally friendly air conditioning with a heat pump which uses heat from outside to reach an adequate temperature within the vehicle.

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.

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, which should make it easier to travel for passengers with reduced mobility. 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.

The German market of electric buses is expanding dynamically, while the battery Urbinos have run on German streets since 2013. 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.