New Polish e-bus order for Solaris. Four vehicles for MPK in Zduńska Wola

The public transport operator Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Komunikacji, in the town of Zduńska Wola, has signed a contract for the delivery of four e-buses, along with charging infrastructure. Solaris has been awarded this order after winning a tender launched by the carrier.

The zero-emission Urbino 12 vehicles will hit the streets of the town by the end of 2022. This is not the first contract to have been carried out for Zduńska Wola by the manufacturer from Bolechowo, yet the ordered vehicles will be the first electric buses to be put into service in the town. The contract is worth slightly over PLN 10 million.

The town of Zduńska Wola has taken its first step on the track towards e-mobility. The four Solaris Urbino 12 electric buses ordered by the carrier stand out due to their quietness and lack of local emissions. Thanks to the appropriate configuration of batteries and the charging infrastructure, they can operate for up to 24 hours a day. Their low noise emissions and vibration levels make them particularly suited for use in the centres of towns and cities. The inhabitants of Zduńska Wola will soon have the opportunity to see this for themselves thanks to the Urbino electric buses which, in 2022, will run on lines operated by MPK.

“Today’s signing of the contract for 4 modern electric buses along with the infrastructure for their charging is a very important event for us. We are glad that Zduńska Wola has once again decided to choose Solaris buses and start the electric transformation of its fleet with us. The investment plans of the MPK in Zdunska Wola are impressive, all the more so as they are in line with European trends in transforming public transport into a more citizen- and environment-friendly option.”, emphasised Petros Spinaris, Solaris Bus & Coach Board Member for Sales, After Sales and Marketing.

The new e-buses will be powered by High Energy batteries, with a total nominal capacity of 280 kWh, and be charged via a socket, placed above the first, right-hand wheel arch. In addition, the carrier has opted to purchase charging infrastructure, i. e. two dual chargers that enable each to concurrently recharge two buses with a charging power of 40 kW or one bus with a charging power of 80 kW. Smooth operation of the 12-metre e-buses will be ensured by an electric central traction motor.

The bus interior, equipped with fully automated air-conditioning for the whole vehicle, will offer space for 75 people, including 29 seated. In addition, four seats in each bus will be specially adjusted to transport passengers with disabilities. The buses will also feature numerous amenities and modern solutions such as illuminated USB charging ports. Passengers will begin their journey by boarding through doors arranged in a 2-2-2 layout.

In order to enhance passengers’ safety, the commissioned Solaris buses will feature a driver alcohol detection system. They will also boast an enclosed driver cabin with a full-height, semi-glazed partition separating it from the passenger compartment and a system to record communication between the driver and passengers. A comfortable ride will be ensured by a passenger information system and cameras monitoring the passenger compartment and the road in front of the vehicle, as well as by devices monitoring the street while reversing.

The first Solaris buses joined the fleet of the local operator MPK in 1999. Since then, both the operator’s fleet and the manufacturer’s offering have undergone a profound transformation. With every passing year, vehicles fuelled with alternative energy sources are accounting for an increasingly significant share of the Bolechowo factory’s output. The Urbino 12 electric bus is one of the most popular and best-selling models in the zero-emission Solaris range. This is the very model with which carriers often embark on their adventure with e-mobility. The 12-metre e-bus is also the first ever electric vehicle to have been awarded the “Bus of the Year” title, in 2017.