POLAND The city authorities in Szczecin have ordered 16 Urbino serial hybrid buses from Solaris. Eight will be 12m vehicles with the remainder being artics.
A zero emission function is available which renders the vehicle similar to an electric bus. Thanks to the installation of the Stop-and-Go system, the diesel engine turns off completely during stopovers at bus stops and the opening of doors, but it turns on again immediately after onboard supercapacitators run out of power.
A GPS has been installed in the vehicle, too, including corresponding software that allows for the activation of the Arrive-and-Go function. This option allows drivers to switch off the diesel engine as the bus is approaching a bus stop. Various tests have shown that owing to this environmental-friendly feature the bus is able to save up to 20% of the fuel needed by similar vehicles with a conventional drive. Moreover, the engine is so quiet that the noise level can be reduced significantly, which comes in handy especially in overcrowded city centres.
