Poland’s Solaris Bus & Coach has signed a contract to deliver two Urbino 12 electric buses and two stationary chargers to Spanish operator ALSA Group, which operates routes in the city of Bilbao.
Both Urbino 12 buses, which will be delivered later this year, are powered by two 125kW integrated traction engines and a 240kWh battery that is recharged via a plug-in connector.
Each vehicle can carry at least 75 passengers, of which 26 travel seated. Some 10 seats are accessible from the low floor. Onboard amenities include air conditioning, a passenger information system with voice announcement, video surveillance, and USB ports installed in handrails that enable recharging of mobile devices.
The buses also comprise two ramps enabling entry of wheelchair-bound passengers or those travelling with prams or pushchairs; one of these ramps will be operated electrically, the other manually.
Furthermore, should the outside temperature drop to below 15°C (59°F), each bus will be automatically pre-conditioned to the desired temperature one hour before setting out.
According to Solaris, this enables the vehicles to save the energy stored in the traction batteries as the buses are heated using energy from the power grid fed via a plug-in.
Since 2010, nearly 200 vehicles from Solaris’ Bolechowo-based factory have been delivered to Spain. Theses include three articulated electric buses supplied to Barcelona and nearly 80 hybrid vehicles also in Barcelona as well as the city of San Sebastian.
