Solaris will deliver more electric buses to Aarhus. AarBus, Denmark’s second-largest city’s public transport operator, ordered 56 electric articulated buses from the Polish manufacturer.
The Solaris Urbino 18 Electric articulated buses will be delivered to Aarhus in two tranches. According to the Polish bus manufacturer, AarBus will receive 31 buses in 2024 and the remaining 25 in 2025. Solaris puts the value of the contract at €37 million.
The buses on order have 450 kWh batteries, providing the operator “with a long range and operability throughout the day.” The buses are driven by an electric axle with two motors. The buses are charged by cable in the depot. The announcement does not mention a fast charging option for intermediate charging en route.
The electric articulated buses that Aarhus ordered from Solaris in 2021 still had a top-down pantograph. This time, Solaris emphasises features such as air conditioning that will “provide passengers with optimal thermal conditions inside the vehicle” and that the buses have double glazing for better thermal insulation.
Aarhus is aiming for fossil-free public transport by 2030. Twenty-nine electric buses each from Solaris and Volvo are already in use there. “The fact that we are almost doubling the number of electric buses means that almost 80 per cent of our buses will run on electricity,” says Nicolaj Bang, Aarhus Technology and Environment Councilor. “The obvious advantage is that they produce less noise and that this will also have a big impact on our reduction of CO2 emissions and lower diesel consumption.”
Keyword: Denmark: Solaris receives electric bus follow-up order