Solaris electric bus wins first EBUS Award for battery buses

The Solaris Urbino electric is quiet and emission-free in operation. Image: Solaris Bus & Coach.

The Solaris Urbino electric city bus has been awarded the first EBUS Award for battery buses by Forum für Verkehr und Logistik. On behalf of the organisation, founded by the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) and insurance company DEVK, an expert panel under the patronage of German Federal Minister of Transport Dr Peter Ramsauer honoured forward-thinking technical solutions and concepts for their operation.

The Solaris Urbino electric is quiet and emission-free in operation. Image: Solaris Bus & Coach.

In the battery buses category, the jury awarded the prize to Solaris for “the exemplary commitment and the courageous progress in the development of electrically-powered public transport buses using batteries.” The award was given to Solaris by State Secretary Rainer Bomba and accepted on behalf of the company by Małgorzata Olszewska, Member of the Board for Sales and Marketing.

Małgorzata Olszewska expressed her delight at this honour: “With its evaluation by top-class experts from politics, industry and science, the EBUS Award confirms our chosen path towards climate-friendly electric mobility and strengthens our resolve to continue our development. This secures sustainable mobility and quality of life in our cities for our own generation as much as for our children.”

The Solaris Urbino electric was developed in cooperation with Vossloh Kiepe GmbH. The German specialist for electric traction systems supplies the powertrain. The midibus version recognised in the EBUS Award uses lithium-ion batteries to store up to 120 kWh of energy. The Urbino electric city bus is now also available in a standard-length, 12-metre version. Optimised for maximum range with a battery capacity of 210 kWh, this model is capable of running for 150 kilometres in the SORT 2 cycle.

The modular system is prepared for automated fast charging systems such as inductive power supply. This allows the batteries to be topped up along the route or at the terminus, eliminating problems of limited operational range.

The first operator to order the Solaris Urbino electric is Braunschweiger Verkehrs-AG from Germany. This Solaris electric bus, which will be delivered in 2013, is a part of a new drive technology pilot programme funded by the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development.