The city of Poznań has ordered 37 electric buses from local manufacturer Solaris, due for delivery in the second half of 2021. The buses join 21 Solaris electric buses that wereplaced in service in Poznań at the end of 2019. On 28 May the representatives of the board of Solaris and the Poznań’ operator MPK signed a contract for the supply of the 37 Urbino electric buses: 31 will be 12m single-deckers, whereas the remaining articulated 6 vehicles will be 18m articulated buses. The contract is worth over PLN 90 million.
“This is very good news for the city and its inhabitants. Further electric buses mean even more ecological public transport, cleaner air, and therefore better quality of life, and this is what we care about most”, said Jacek Jaśkowiak, Mayor of the City of Poznań. “It is not yet a year since the first ebuses came to Poznań, and more are being bought. This shows the consistency of the City and MPK Poznań in efforts to improve living conditions in the city. It is worth emphasizing that these activities are part of a wider program. We are currently preparing the Strategy for the Development of Electromobility for the City of Poznań by 2035. The main goal of the program is to support the development of the broadly defined electromobility policy and sustainable development of transport and mobility in Poznan”
“We strive to make public transport, both by bus and tram, increasingly accessible, attractive and ecological. With the purchase of emission-free buses we are trying to meet requirements set by the Act on e-mobility. In this day and age of environmental degradation, of cumbersome exhaust emissions and noise pollution in cities, e-mobility is a necessity“, added Wojciech Tulibacki, CEO of MPK Poznań Sp. z o.o.
Signing the contract, Petros Spinaris, Vice-President of Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. said: “In Solaris we believe that the future of public transport will be electrically-powered, and therefore we are very pleased that MPK Poznań decided to transform its fleet opting for emission-free Urbino electric buses. Investments in sustainable urban transport will allow for a high quality of air in the city and the quality life of its residents, which makes Poznań one of the most modern metropolises in Europe.”
The vehicles will be equipped with Solaris High Power batteries designed for fast charging. The Urbino 12 vehicles will feature 4 packs with a capacity of over 120 kWh, and the articulated versions will be fitted with 6 packs boasting a capacity of over 180 kWh. Throughout the day the batteries will be recharged by means of one of a few fast pantograph chargers located at the bus terminals, where additional chargers are planned to be installed in the future.
The driveline consists of an electric axle with two integrated motors boasting a power of 125 kW each. The air-conditioned buses will be monitored by a system of indoor cameras and, for the first time in buses for Poznań, also, of outdoor cameras monitoring the right side of the bus and the pantograph. For the passengers there will be a passenger information system consisting of readable modern destination displays, interior displays, a voice announcement system and screens displaying information generated by the operator. The buses will also feature space for bicycles and USB charging ports as well as external door lighting.
