The bus fleet of Oslo, Norway has just received 183 articulated Solaris Urbino 18.75 electric buses. As a result, Solaris has finished the largest electric bus order it has ever received. The contract, which was signed in January 2022, is worth €100 million.
Unibuss AS is the company that runs the routes on which the new Urbino 18.75 electric buses will run. A recently constructed facility in Stubberud, Oslo, will house the outstanding fleet of 183 articulated electric vehicles. The most congested routes in Norway — routes 20, 21, 31, and 37, which are traveled by over 150,000 people daily — are designated for the articulated Urbino 18.75 electric buses. They will soon be able to ride in cutting-edge electric buses that are completely emission-free and silent.
Oslo is getting closer to becoming the first city in the world to have 100% emission-free public transportation thanks to these investments! Furthermore, all signs point to the metropolis achieving its objective of fully emission-free public transportation five years sooner than anticipated.
“We have just completed deliveries of the largest contract for electric buses in the history of our company. The fact that they will be driving on the streets of Oslo, a city that will soon have a completely emission-free public transport system, is a special reason for us to be proud. Thank you Unibuss AS for your trust!”, emphasized Sverre Skaar, Managing Director of Solaris Norge AS.
”We at Unibuss AS are truly satisfied with the bus delivery to this grand project which is a true milestone for us to reach our goal to have 100% electrical buses in our city bus fleet by mid-2025. Solaris has done a thorough and solid job in getting this delivery in place, just in time, for start of operations (16 April 2023) and that in a very challenging supply chain environment. Now we count on their local Norwegian team by to maintain and service the buses in an excellent way as we have another 12 years of cooperation in front of us. Looking forward to it!” said Henrik Anderberg, Technical Director Unibuss AS.
The Urbino 18.75 electric buses are outfitted with brand new batteries that have an extremely high capacity of more than 520 kWh. Each vehicle’s smooth acceleration and silent operation are guaranteed by the 240 kW central traction motor. The trucks are 18.75 meters long, which is 75 centimeters longer than the conventional articulated Solaris variant. While preserving the 138-passenger capacity, including 41 seated passengers, the extra room inside the bus has made it possible to fit as many as three bays for wheelchair users.
Drivers gain from autonomous assistance systems like MobilEye and cameras in place of traditional mirrors that improve driving comfort and safety. Additionally, the wide-angle camera systems found in each electric Urbino provide a 360-degree bird’s eye perspective of the scene. The driver will be even more safe and comfortable as a result. The buses also have a sensor for dusk and rain, as well as one that recognizes driver fatigue automatically.
The e-buses have a unique Scandinavian thermal insulation package that includes, among other things, double-glazed side windows, additional insulation in the side walls, ceiling, and underbody around the wheel arches, and heating mats that have been installed in the floor near the entrance doors. Also available for the Urbino 18.75 electric bus are snow chains.
The relationship between Solaris and Unibuss AS has a long history, beginning in 2006. Since then, the operator has placed orders with the manufacturer for more than 400 buses. In Norway, there are now more than 700 Solaris vehicles in use.
Solaris has proved once again that it is a good company to work with for clean emission-free public transport. Oslo is on track to a cleaner greener city with this significant investment!
Source: Solaris Bus
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