Solaris launches battery replacement service for older Urbino electric buses

Solaris announces it is adding a zero-emission vehicle retrofit to its portfolio. The program, designed to upgrade key components of existing electric buses—primarily batteries and other drivetrain elements—aims to allow operators to extend fleet life while benefitting from the latest advances in EV technology.

As part of the MPK Kraków contract, Solaris is replacing post-warranty batteries in 20 buses: seventeen Urbino 12 electric and three articulated Urbino 18 electric models.  Additional retrofit orders from customers in Berlin, Hamburg, Paris, and Warsaw are currently underway, the manufacturer states.

A similar service is offered by UK bus producer Wrightbus, that in June 2024 launched the NewPower entity aiming at converting to electric old ICE buses. However, also EV-to-EV projects are being carried out.

Solaris offers upgrade of batteries for its e-buses

Solaris has been producing electric buses since 2011 and states it has currently over 6,000 e-buses in circulation. Some have been serving passengers for more than a decade and covering nearly a million kilometres. The retrofit program, carried out post-warranty, supports operators in maximising the return on their e-mobility investments.

The retrofit service begins with batteries. “Solaris experts will offer the optimal battery solutions, based on LFP, NMC, or LTO technologies – all tailored to the customer’s expectations. When preparing an offer, dozens of factors are taken into account, such as the expected battery lifespan, charging and usage methods, the amount of energy required daily for transport operations, and of course, cost”, Solaris underlines.

The service also covers necessary electrical components, updates to the Battery Management System (BMS), integration of the Battery Thermal Management System (BTMS), and compatibility checks with existing charging infrastructure.

Each retrofit includes vehicle assessment, project calculation and documentation, removal of old batteries, installation of new units, and disposal of used components. The service currently applies to battery-electric buses, trolleybuses equipped with batteries and IMC systems, and will be extended to hydrogen buses in the future.

“Zero-emission vehicle retrofit is a service built around customer needs, enabling operators with Solaris buses to ensure vehicle maximum benefits at every stage of its life cycle. Our After Sales department, together with the Battery Hub, responds to the growing expectations of the market, offering a ready-to-use solution for battery bus users taking care of all steps of process up to the old battery disposal. We are proud to announce the first units retrofitted in MPK Kraków and ready to scale-up this offering in all Solaris certified service points in Europe,” says Marco Franza, Chief Services Officer at Solaris Bus & Coach (he joined Solaris a few months ago from Iveco Bus).