City transport operator Miejskie Zakłady Autobusowe w Warszawie (MZA) acquired 130 articulated electric buses for nearly PLN 400 million (EURO 93.3 million). This biggest yet commission for zero-emission buses in Europe was won by Solaris. The articulated Urbino 18 electric will be delivered to the capital of Poland in 2020.
The gigantic order for 130 articulated electric buses is the biggest ever tender of its kind in Europe. The electric buses of Solaris have been ordered so far by 60 cities in 17 countries, and have already traversed over 14 million kilometres since 2011.
The 130 articulated electric Urbinos for MZA will be fitted with Solaris High Power batteries with a capacity of 150 kWh, and for which the producer grants a seven-year warranty, as per requirement of the awarding authority. The electric power in those batteries will be recharged by means of depot charging stations of the plug-in type and by means of pantographs. The bus will feature two charging sockets: one above the right wheel arch and the other placed behind the last door, whereas the pantograph will be mounted on the roof. Boasting over 400 kW of power, the fast-charging stations will be deployed in various corners of the city. The setup of the infrastructure is the object of a separate call for tender.
The drive unit of the electric articulated buses for Warsaw will consist of an axle with two electric engines of 110 kW each. Even though electric buses are already much cheaper to operate than diesel ones, the vehicles for operator MZA are getting also a voltage converter for the traction motor, produced in SiC technology, which will help to additionally reduce energy consumption.
