Solaris has won a tender for the supply of 161 Urbino 12 hybrid buses, together with an 8-year maintenance service. The tender was issued by Opérateur de Transport de Wallonie (OTW), a public transport operator from the French-speaking part of Belgium. The vehicles will make their way to Wallonia in 2022. The contract is worth over €76 million.

As soon as next year, the cities of Namur, Liège and Charleroi will welcome low-emission Urbino 12 hybrid buses, ordered by OTW. The vehicles will be handed over to regional transport operators TEC Charleroi and TEC Liège-Verviers, with which Solaris has previously collaborated, and for the first time - to TEC Namur-Luxembourg.

“We are extremely proud of this large new order placed by Opérateur de Transport de Wallonie. Since 2017, we have delivered nearly 240 hybrid buses of this exact same type to the cities of Liège, Hainaut and Charleroi. We are very glad that even more public transport passengers in Wallonia will be able to use state-of-the-art, low-emission Solaris buses”, said Petros Spinaris, Member of the Management Board for Sales and After Sales.

The Urbino 12 hybrid units for OTW will be equipped with a modern and environmentally friendly HybriDrive series hybrid electric propulsion system. It helps to significantly reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emissions into the atmosphere, and all this thanks to the use of an electric motor next to a diesel engine. Moreover, the commissioned vehicles will boast a zero-emission function, i. e. a Stop-and-Go feature. It turns off the diesel engine completely when the bus comes to a rest at bus stops and the doors open. The vehicle uses at that moment energy recuperated during braking and stored in supercaps.

The hybrid Urbino 12 buses have been ordered with two-door and three-door layouts. The former will go to Namur, the capital of Wallonia (64 units), and the latter to Charleroi (58 units) and Liège (39 units). High-efficiency air-conditioning and a spacious and comfortable bus interior will provide for even more passenger comfort. The vehicles will also feature a video surveillance system and a passenger counting system.

The very first Solaris buses arrived in Belgium in 2013. Apart from the above-mentioned 240 Urbino 12 hybrid buses, among the buses already delivered to the country there are 32 Urbino e-buses that serve the inhabitants of Brussels.

Sursa: Solaris

Au inceput lucrarile la culoarele dedicate pentru autobuz ("busway"). Traducere automata:

Această săptămână, echipa de emisie revine la lansarea lucrărilor de linie a BUSWAY B2 🚧🚍

Frecvență ridicată, amplitudine importantă și eficiență optimă: Tramvaiul în comun vă prezintă mai multe avantaje ale acestei linii 48!

 

Era si cazul, actuala banda bus e plina de gropi si de hartoape, in bunul stil belgian...

https://solarisbus.com/en/press/solaris- ... ium-2242

Solaris wins tender for 45 mega electric buses for Liège, Belgium
14.11.2024

Solaris has won a tender for 45 double-articulated Urbino 24 electric buses, that will be integrated into the transport network of the Belgian city of Liège. The first order under this tender was placed for 18 buses. The Urbino 24 electric buses are exceptional not only for their length but also for their MetroStyle design option. This is the largest tender for double-articulated buses won by the manufacturer to date.
Solaris's double-articulated electric buses will join the fleet in Liège, Belgium. The manufacturer won a tender for as many as 45 of these longest vehicles, marking the largest tender to date for Solaris’s double-articulated buses. The first order, placed for 18 units, was secured by Wallonia’s regional transport company (Opérateur de transport de Wallonie – TEC), which manages transport in the city of Liège. The first 5 buses from this order will be delivered in 2025, with the remaining 13 units arriving in 2026.

The unique 24-meter length of these double-articulated buses translates into high passenger capacity, making them ideal for high-frequency Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems. The Urbino 24 electric buses generate no emissions at the point of use, thus supporting the development of sustainable transportation and enhancing the quality of life of city residents. The ordered buses will feature the distinctive MetroStyle design.

"We are especially delighted to deliver Urbino 24 electric buses in the unique MetroStyle design to Liège. These exceptional zero-emission buses will support sustainable and convenient public transport in the city," said Olivier Michard, Chief Commercial Officer at Solaris.

Each of the 24-meter electric buses will be powered by two electric axles. Energy will be supplied by next-generation Solaris High Energy batteries, with a total capacity of approximately 800 kWh per vehicle. These energy storage units will be charged via a plug-in connection. The buses will be equipped with multiple driver-assistance systems, including a 270° camera system monitoring the area around the bus and enhanced visibility cameras in place of mirrors. The buses will offer 50 seats, and passengers will have access to USB chargers for mobile devices. Modern LED lighting technology will be installed throughout the vehicle. For improved fleet management, the Urbino 24 electric MetroStyle buses will be equipped with the comprehensive eSConnect diagnostic tool, enabling increased operational efficiency and easier maintenance.

The 24-meter Solaris bus was first unveiled to the public at Busworld Europe 2019 and was developed exclusively as a platform for zero-emission vehicles, including electric buses and trolleybuses. Solaris has already delivered 50 double-articulated vehicles. Fourteen of these are electric models that serve transport in Aalborg, Denmark. The company has also delivered 36 double-articulated trolleybuses for operators in Prague and Bratislava.