Solaris Bus & Coach and Paris-based Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP) have signed a contract for the supply of the Solaris Urbino 8.9 LE 8.9-meter electric bus to Paris.
Under the contract option, the public transport operator reserved the option to extend the contract to a value of €10 million. This means a possibility of delivering a further dozen or so zero-emission Solaris electric buses.
The Solaris Urbino 8,9 LE electric is equipped with a 160 kW central electric engine. The energy needed to drive it will be stored in 160 kWh Solaris High Energy batteries. A plug-in connection, through which the bus will connect to an external stationary charger will be used to top up the energy.
The vehicle will be able to carry over 50 people at the same time. The bus will feature a 1-2 door layout. For passengers with limited mobility and those traveling with prams, the second door will be fitted with an electric ramp to facilitate boarding the bus. The interior of the vehicle will also be equipped with air conditioning, passenger information system, video monitoring system as well as fire detection and extinguishing system. Both inside and on the external elements of the vehicle there will be anti-graffiti coating used, protecting against acts of vandalism.
The order signed is another one that the Polish manufacturer has secured with the Paris operator in the recent months. At the end of last year, the operator Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens ordered 18 gas-powered Urbino 18 CNG, deliveries of which will soon begin. The orders realized by Solaris correspond with a long-term RATP policy in the field of reducing air pollution and switching towards low-emission and zero-emission vehicles.
Solaris vehicles have been present in France since 2003. Since then, the company has delivered nearly 550 buses to the country, of which over 100 went to Île-de-France region. The ecology-focused capital of France at the beginning of 2016 also tested a battery product from the Polish manufacturer – Urbino 12 electric, the same model that was announced the 2017 bus. Also in 2016, the Polish Embassy in France awarded Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. the prize for the best national exporter.
