Electric Solaris buses will debut in Rybnik
11 low-floor Urbino 12 electric and 5 articulated Urbino 18 electric buses will soon roll out onto the streets of the city of Rybnik. The vehicles have been commissioned by KŁOSOK Sp. z o.o. sp. k., which, by order of the public transport authority in Rybnik, will provide public transport services in the city for the next 10 years. In line with the contract, the vehicles are to be delivered by the end of March 2022.
The Solaris Urbino electric buses are locally emission-free and ensure low operating costs. They boast low noise emissions and vibration levels and they can operate (depending on the battery configuration and infrastructure) up to 24 hours a day. All this makes them perfect for city centres, in particular those struggling with poor air quality.
The vehicles to be delivered to Rybnik will be powered by High Energy batteries with a total capacity of over 440 kWh in the Urbino 12 electric buses and over 500 kWh in the case of the Urbino 18 electric units. They will be recharged using a plug-in charger. The drive in both vehicle types will consist of drive axles with integrated electric motors.
All of the ordered buses will be fitted with modern features to aid the driver’s work and to enhance travel safety. These include, among other things, rain and light sensors, LED lighting including cornering lights, electrically adjustable and heated side-view mirrors, an intercom for communication between the driver and passengers, as well as the Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS). The latter has been designed with pedestrians in mind and they will be alerted by special sounds generated by the system to warn them of the presence of an electric drive vehicle. What is more, passengers will certainly be glad to have amenities such as air-conditioning and USB ports in the passenger’s compartment to recharge their portable devices.
The Urbino 12 electric model is one of the most popular and best-selling models in the zero-emission Solaris range. This modern 12-metre e-bus was awarded the “Bus of the Year 2017” title as the first ever electric vehicle. The articulated Urbino 18 electric bus was launched in autumn 2017 and the first passengers to enjoy travelling aboard this e-bus were the inhabitants of Cracow.
Towns and cities often opt for commissioning both models at the same time. Such electric pairs can be seen, for example, on the streets of Berlin, Barcelona, Warsaw, Luxembourg, Poznań, Katowice and Bolzano.
