Press releases

2019/07/23

SOLARIS, A MEMBER COMPANY OF THE CAF GROUP, OBTAINS TWO SIGNIFICANT CONTRACTS AND WILL SUPPLY ELECTRIC BUSES TO WARSAW AND BERLIN.

Solaris, a member company of the CAF Group, has been awarded two significant projects amounting to a combined value of almost 160 million euros, comprising of the supply of 130 articulated electric buses for Warsaw and a further 90 units for the capital city of Germany.

SOLARIS AWARDED THE SUPPLY OF 130 ELECTRIC BUSES FOR WARSAW

The Polish transport operator, MZA (Miejskie Zak?ady Autobusowe w Warszawie) selected the CAF Group manufacturer to supply 130 electric buses for the city of Warsaw with a contract volume amounting to approx. €100 million.

This is one of the most substantial contracts from among the tenders published of late in Europe for these types of vehicles. The Solaris buses chosen for the Polish capital city pertain to the 18-metre Urbino model with a 300 km range. They are scheduled to be delivered over the course of 2020.

“Solaris is proud to have been awarded such a substantial electric bus supply contract. We have long-followed a strategy focused on developing vehicles with zero emissions and, on obtaining such a significant order for MZA, we can now consolidate our standing as the European leading company in the e-mobility sector. And, first and foremost, we are content with our company's firm approach towards developing sustainable transport solutions, in this case contributing to improving the quality of life of Warsaw's inhabitants,” commented Javier Calleja, Executive Manager of Solaris Bus & Coach S.A.

The 130 articulated electric Urbino units for MZA will be equipped with Solaris High Power batteries with a total capacity of 150 kWh. The electricity in these batteries will be recharged both by means of plug-in charging stations, and via a pantograph. In addition, rapid charge stations, with in excess of 400 kW capacity, will be arranged along the entire network at several spots across the city.

The supplied buses will be 18 metres long, thereby providing high passenger transport capacity. They will also be equipped with air conditioning and a complete passenger information system and USB charge ports available for passenger use to charge mobile devices during journeys. Additionally to the technical innovations of the vehicle, the main feature of these new electric buses is the fact that they are “zero emission” which, in turn, results in a significant environmental enhancement for the city in all aspects.

To date, Solaris has handed over more than 1,000 urban buses to Warsaw, including 20 electric units of the Urbino 12 model, which are already providing services on the city's urban network.

It is also worth mentioning that at a global scale, the Solaris electric buses are currently providing services in over 50 cities, in 16 countries, and have run more than 10 million kilometres since the first units of this type were supplied in 2011. All this has positioned Solaris and the CAF Group amongst the leading electric bus manufacturers in Europe.

BERLIN ALSO TRUSTS SOLARIS WITH AN ORDER FOR 90 ELECTRIC BUSES

BVG, the public transport company in Berlin, opted for Solaris vehicles to provide service in the German capital city. Specifically, an agreement was entered into for the delivery of 90 electric buses 12-metre-long. The value of the contract entered into amounts to €60 million, and is divided into various stages: the first bus will be delivered in Berlin at the end of this year, with the others delivered in three sections: 29 units in the first quarter of 2020, 30 in the second quarter of 2020 and the last 30 units in the fourth quarter of 2020.

“Once more, Berlin chooses to develop zero emission public transport, and the procurement of 90 new Solaris electric buses will, undoubtedly, contribute towards improving the citizens’ living conditions. E-mobility translates directly into lower levels of noise and pollution in cities, this is the future which is already becoming a reality”, commented Petronis Spinaris, Vice President of the Board of Solaris Bus & Coach S.A.

Between 2015 and 2019, the Polish manufacturer of the CAF Group supplied 35 zero emission buses for BVG, and therefore, with the recently signed contract, the Solaris fleet of electric vehicles managed by this Berlin based operator will amount to a total of 125 units.

Each of the electric buses for BVG will have a capacity for 70 passengers, and will boast cutting edge technology for these types of vehicles, in terms of user comfort and quality.