Gorzów Wielkopolski is the latest addition to the impressive list of European cities investing in “green” public transport. The city and the municipal operator have recently ordered eight electrically-propelled vehicles. These will be the first electric buses to be deployed in Gorzów Wielkopolski. The vehicles will carry passengers starting next year.
Solaris Bus & Coach has signed a deal for the supply of eight zero-emission electric buses of the Urbino 12 electric type with the city of Gorzów Wielkopolski and the operator Miejski Zakład Komunikacji in Gorzów Wielkopolski. Apart from vehicles, the contract covers also an investment part for the design and building of the vehicle charging infrastructure. This marks yet another instance where Solaris can offer a full package of turnkey electromobility solutions. The total net value of the contract amounts to over PLN 25 million.
The electric buses that are to début on the streets of Gorzów Wielkopolski will be fitted with Solaris High Power batteries with a total capacity of ca. 120 kWh. The batteries will be used to store the energy needed to feed the electric drive axle of the vehicle. Two charging modes will be available for the Solaris buses: both conventional plug-in as well as pantograph charging. In this particular case the municipal carrier opted for an inverted pantograph (in this version the device is not stacked on the roof of the bus but rather on the mast of the charger). The 12-metre electric bus will provide space for at least 80 passengers. The driver’s cabin in the commissioned model will be completely shut off.
“As the popularity of electromobility is rising, and it is becoming an option that is readily available to public transport operators, so are the expectations of municipal carriers. Hence, among others, the bigger number of turnkey tenders, encompassing not only the purchase of vehicles but also of infrastructure needed to recharge electric buses. We are ready for this challenge. Our experience and technological know-how allow us to be a competent partner for operators at every stage of the implementation of e-mobility solutions. We are happy that Gorzów will join the ranks of cities with zero-emission fleets,” said Petros Spinaris, Deputy CEO of Solaris Bus & Coach.
In the case of the contract with Gorzów Wielkopolski, Solaris has committed to expand the bus terminus, to design and build three pantograph chargers, with a whopping 400 kW in charging power, which will be deployed at the termini in strategic city areas. These chargers will allow the operator to maximise the daily operability of electric buses. What is more, the producer is also due to deliver four depot charging stations, each coming with two charging points, boasting a power of 2 x 60 kW; these will enable among others the standard overnight charging of vehicles.
In the photo (from the left): Mateusz Nalewajski (Commercial Operations Deputy Director, Solaris Bus & Coach Sp. z o.o.), Petros Spinaris (Deputy CEO, Solaris Bus & Coach Sp. z o.o.), Jacek Wójcicki (Mayor of the City of Gorzów Wielkopolski), Roman Maksymiak (CEO, MZK Gorzów Wielkopolski
Images courtesy of Solaris