Press releases

2020/12/17

FIRST ORDER PLACED WITH SOLARIS UNDER THE FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT TO SUPPLY 530 ELECTRIC BUSES TO HAMBURG

Hamburger Hochbahn, one of the largest public transport operators in Germany, issued a  tender this year for the supply of 530 twelve and eighteen metre-long (articulated) electric  buses. In August, three candidate manufacturers were selected, one of these being the CAF  Group subsidiary. The framework agreement establishes tranche orders for the vehicles over  the next 5 years until completing the delivery of the aforementioned total of 530 vehicles.  

Solaris received its first firm order for units under the framework agreement, specifically 5 12- metre and 5 18-metre e-buses, which will be delivered to Hamburg in October 2021.  

The two selected electric models, the Urbino 12 and the Urbino 18 belong to Solaris' range of  emission-free and extremely low-noise vehicles. Both vehicles will be equipped with Solaris  High Energy + high-capacity batteries, integrated axle drive motors and also featuring plug-in  charging devices for availability ranges of up to several hundred kilometres on a single charge.  

The vehicles will also be equipped with temperature pre-conditioning to guarantee optimal  vehicle temperatures during battery charging, as well as a variety of solutions to promote  safety, such as a blind spot monitor system that warns the driver when pedestrians or cyclists  are in the vicinity of the vehicle. In terms of capacity, the Solaris Urbino 12 model can carry up  to 70 passengers whilst the articulated vehicles offer 107 passenger places, guaranteeing  maximum driver and passenger comfort during service.  

THE CAF GROUP, THE ELECTRIC BUS MARKET LEADER IN 2020  

Solaris became the manufacturer with the highest percentage of registered electric-powered  buses in Western Europe in the first three quarters of 2020. During this time, more than 1,000  electric buses were registered, with almost one quarter of these having been supplied by the  CAF Group's subsidiary, thereby consolidating its position as electric mobility leader in the  European public transport market.  

From January to September 2020, 242 Urbino electric buses were commissioned for service  in cities in five European countries -France, Spain, Germany, Poland and Italy-, with a  prominent presence of this type of emission-free buses in countries such as Poland, where  Solaris secures market leader position, and in the Italian market, where Solaris’s share of  electric bus deliveries reached 83% whilst gaining a 43% share in the German market.  

In addition to this achievement, Solaris was awarded the Global e-Mobility Leader 2020 prize  on 19 November at the Global e-Mobility Forum international event.  

But electric buses are not the only option available when it comes to making the switch to  sustainable mobility. Concurrently, the manufacturer has won orders for over 60 hydrogen  vehicles since the Urbino 12 hydrogen bus model was first launched in June 2019. 

As a result, Solaris' production share of vehicles with alternative fuel sources has continued  to grow year in year out. This will result in the company setting a new record for the number  of this type of bus being supplied by the end of the year, thereby consolidating the company's  leading position in the sector.