Solaris has announced that it has expanded its service network and won new contracts in Spain, saying that purchasers from the country are primarily interested in its range of vehicles with alternative drivetrains. Since the beginning of the year the company says it has received orders for nearly 60 low- and zero-emission vehicles in Spain, with all due to be delivered by the end of the year.
“What is crucial is that 90% of orders secured by Solaris this year concern buses with alternative drives. One third of these are vehicles featuring exclusively electric drives“, said Kepa Mendikute, Managing Director of Solaris Bus Ibérica. 14 articulated electric buses will hit the streets of Barcelona with operator TMB, whilst TUSGSAL from nearby Badalona opted for hybrid buses, and will see the addition of 11 Urbino 18 hybrid in 18-meter version by the end of 2020.
12-metre hybrid buses will be delivered to private operator Avanza, based in the small town of Elche in the east of Spain, and Solaris has also secured orders for 20 eco-friendly CNG-propelled buses. Thirteen Urbino 12 CNG buses were purchased by the private operator Moventis in Barcelona, and further gas buses, including one articulated vehicle, will be supplied to the city of Burgos, and to Girona.
Solaris says its success is helped by its representative on the Spanish market, Solaris Bus Ibérica, whose active approach is visible not only through the number of tenders won, but also in the field of after sales. Expanded in January, the service network will allow to carry out maintenance work and repairs of Solaris’ buses in the fleets of Spanish operators even more efficiently. Clients will benefit from additional 100 service centres in Spain and Portugal within the Alltrucks Truck & Trailer Service network.
