Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o. has signed another framework agreement with the Austrian bus company Österreichische Postbus AG. It stipulates a possibility to deliver up to 106 battery-electric and hydrogen buses that would be deployed throughout Austria. The models offered include Urbino 9 LE electric and Urbino 12 hydrogen buses. The agreement envisages deliveries in the years 2022-2025.
In February this year, Solaris and Österreichische Postbus AG, the largest bus company in Austria and a leader in regional public bus transport, concluded a framework agreement for the delivery of up to 106 state-of-the-art and environmentally friendly buses. Possible orders are to be fulfilled in the years 2022-2025 with an option to prolong this period until 2028. Buses to be purchased by the client include up to 24 of the latest, zero-emission Urbino 9 LE electric buses, and up to 82 Urbino 12 hydrogen buses.
The Solaris hydrogen buses offered under the agreement are the most innovative vehicles in the manufacturer’s range. Thanks to their extremely quiet operation and no local emissions, the buses have become increasingly popular among European carriers. The framework agreement is yet another agreement for hydrogen buses concluded between Österreichische Postbus AG und Solaris. The previous contract signed in February 2021 assumed, among other things, the delivery of up to 40 Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen buses.
The energy that powers the hydrogen buses is generated by 70 kW fuel cells. Electricity, produced via reverse electrolysis, is transferred directly to the driveline, consisting of an axle with electric motors. The sole by-products generated during this process are heat and steam. The hydrogen needed to propel the bus will be stored in gaseous form in five tanks with a total volume of 1560 litres, mounted on the bus’s roof. Additionally, every ordered vehicle will be equipped with a Solaris High Power battery.
The contract also provides for the possibility to purchase Urbino 9 LE electric buses, the youngest member of the electric Solaris family, which was launched in September 2021. This versatile model has been designed in such a way that it can be adapted for class I or class II type approval. Thus, the bus provides an excellent link between the urban and suburban road networks. Thanks to its compact dimensions, the vehicle will perform excellently on steep climbs and on tight mountain bends in Austria. These 9-metre buses will be equipped with a central electric motor. The propulsion system will be powered by energy derived from a set of Solaris High Energy batteries with a total capacity of about 280 kWh, and the spacious interior will take at least 65 passengers. The modernised design in the rear of the bus provides more headroom, which will enhance the quality of the journey.
Solaris has been present in Austria since 2003 and so far the bus maker has delivered over 400 buses to 40 towns and cities there. Nearly 70 of them are zero-emission vehicles. Both Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen and 9-metre Urbino electric buses are winning over more and more clients, and not only in Austria. Since the launch of the Urbino 12 hydrogen in June 2019, the manufacturer has been awarded orders in the Czech Republic, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Italy and Sweden. The first Urbino 9 LE electric units will, in turn, roll out onto the streets of Polish and Italian towns and cities soon.
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