On 26 April, at a festive gala held in Berlin, Solaris was handed the Innovation Award in the category “Electric bus: Intercity”. This is yet another prize awarded by “busplaner” magazine to Solaris vehicles and yet more proof of the fact that zero-emission technology is venturing beyond just city centres.
The Innovation Award 2022 is an international competition held by the German magazine “busplaner”, one of the leading opinion-forming trade magazines in Europe. This year, the jury nominated 75 innovative and practical solutions in 15 categories, from electric models to hybrid vehicles and coaches, as well as assistance systems, workshop equipment, and pioneering bus tour offerings. The winners were determined by the readers’ votes. The Solaris Urbino 9 LE electric, which can also be type-approved as a class II vehicle, won in the category “Electric bus: Intercity”. The award ceremony took place on 26 April in Berlin at the Bus2Bus conference.
“We are very proud that Solaris has once again been recognised for its contribution to the development of sustainable transport. Our aim is to actively support European towns and cities in their transition to green mobility. We are achieving this by offering zero-emission buses that not only carry passengers in city centres, but also throughout entire conurbations and between towns and cities. The Urbino 9 LE electric bus is an excellent example of this”, said Christian Goll, the Managing Director of Solaris Deutschland GmbH.
The Urbino 9 LE electric bus is the youngest member of the electric Solaris Urbino family. Thanks to its compact dimensions it performs excellently not only in cramped city spaces, but also on steep climbs and on tight mountain bends. Thus, it provides a perfect link between the urban and suburban road network across sprawling conurbations. The bus was launched in autumn 2021 and since then it has found clients in Spain, Italy, Austria and Poland. Soon, the first Urbino 9 LE electric units will roll out onto the streets of Polish and Italian towns and cities.
The prize awarded in this year’s edition of the competition is the latest in a long line of the producer’s successes on the international stage. So far, Solaris has been awarded distinctions by the “busplaner” magazine and its readers in the following categories: “Electric bus” for the Urbino 15 LE electric bus (in 2020), “Concept Vehicle” for the Urbino 12 hydrogen bus (in 2019), and “Innovation of the Year” for the new Urbino 12 electric (2018), the Urbino 18.75 electric (2014) and the Urbino 8.9 LE electric (2012) buses.
Information Solaris
Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o. is one of the leading producers of city and intercity buses in Europe. It focuses in particular on the development of zero-emission vehicles, i. e. electric and hydrogen buses as well as trolleybuses. This has resulted in the widest zero-emission product range in the European market and a leading position in this segment with a market share of 15.2%. Nearly 25,000 Solaris vehicles have been delivered so far and they ply the streets in 850 towns and cities across 33 countries located throughout Europe as well as beyond it. Solaris is part of the Spanish CAF Group (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles) S.A. From conception, to the design and manufacturing phases, all Solaris buses are produced in Poland. Moreover, all activities undertaken by the manufacturer are in line with the brand’s mission, which is reflected in the motto “We are changing the image of public transport”. Solaris also actively partners with public transport operators and provides them with comprehensive support in their transition to zero-emission mobility.
Additional information
Mateusz Figaszewski
E-mobility Development & Market Intelligence Director
mateusz.figaszewski@solarisbus.com
