SOLARIS WILL SUPPLY FIRST HYBRID BUS IN POLAND TO MPK POZNAN
Representatives of Poznan municipal transport company MPK and Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. signed a contract for the supply of an innovative Solaris Urbino 18 Hybrid bus. It will be the first bus in Poland to use this state-of-the-art technology. The environmentally-friendly Solaris will arrive on the streets of Poznan in October this year.
Solaris Bus & Coach claims to be the first bus manufacturer in Europe to offer a hybrid bus with volume-production technology. The first Solaris Urbino 18 Hybrid was shown at the 2006 IAA Commercial Vehicles exhibition in Hanover, Germany. Solaris hybrid buses today are operated in the German cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Bochum and in Lenzburg in Switzerland. Vehicles for Bremen, Munich and Hanover are currently in production.The Solaris hybrid bus ordered by MPK Poznan will belong to the second version of the Urbino 18 Hybrid, which has been enhanced based on experience gained in the operation of the first vehicles. The 18-metre, low-floor articulated bus will be capable of carrying up to 140 passengers.The hybrid power train of the Solaris Urbino 18 Hybrid combines a diesel engine with two electric engines. The advantages of this state-of-the-art technology are:- fuel consumption reduced by between 15 and 30%, resulting in lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main cause of global warming,- nitrogen oxide emissions reduced by between 10 and 39%,- emissions of particulate matter between 51 and 97% lower than on comparable conventional buses,- lower noise level both inside and outside the vehicle,- lower engine load results in less frequent oil changes.Thanks to these characteristics, Solaris claims that its hybrid buses are exceptionally clean and environmentally friendly. The hybrid power train of the Urbino 18 Hybrid is a system manufactured by Allison Transmission. In the US already several hundred buses with this type of power train are on the road. The diesel component of the power train consists of either a Cummins ISLe4 engine with a capacity of 8.9 litres and 340hp or a Cummins ISBe4 engine with 6.7 litre capacity and 250hp.The other component of the power train – and at the same time its main element – are two electric engines of the Ep50 system developed and produced by Allison Transmission. These engines are located in the front section of the articulated bus, right behind the first wheel housing on the left side, with traction power being transmitted on the second (central) axle of the bus. Thanks to this arrangement, it is possible to have up to 53+1 seats. Including standees, the total number of passengers that the Urbino 18 Hybrid can carry is as much as 161, exact figures depending on customer specification.