Solaris Series Hybrid Bus is "Innovation of 2011"

Readers of busplaner trade magazine have voted the Solaris Urbino 18 Hybrid bus with Vossloh Kiepe series hybrid drive as their "Innovation of 2011". This state-of-the-art hybrid bus uses two energy storage systems and a plug-in connection to maximise the use of clean electric energy.

The Solaris Urbino 18 Hybrid with Vossloh Kiepe series hybrid drive has been named "Innovation of 2011" by busplaner trade magazine. This state-of-the-art hybrid bus won the 4^th busplaner Innovation Prize in the Public Transport category. The prize is awarded annually by the magazine’s readers in three areas, Public Transport, Technology and Tourism.

Solaris CEO Solange Olszewska said about the award: "The recognition of the Urbino 18 Hybrid as "Innovation of 2011" underlines our commitment to climate-friendly electric mobility. It spurs us and our partners on to further increase public transport’s sustainability."

The award-winning Urbino 18 Hybrid was developed in partnership between Solaris and Vossloh Kiepe, who supplied the series hybrid system. Its flexible drive technology makes it a leading choice for electric mobility. This hybrid bus has two separate energy storage units. Supercapacitors store energy recuperated during braking for subsequent acceleration, while lithium-ion batteries offer larger amounts of energy to enable fully-electric, zero-emission operation over distances of several kilometres, for example in sensitive city environments.

A plug-in connection charges the batteries externally while the bus is in the depot. On board the vehicle, a downsized Cummins diesel engine meeting the EEV emissions standard produces electric energy through a generator. At the wheel, all power is supplied by a 250 kW electric motor. GPS-based energy management tailors the interplay of components exactly to route-specific operating conditions and thus maximises fuel savings potential.