Solaris Bus & Coach

Solaris Bus & Coach is a Polish bus manufacturer, which has emerged from the Neoplan Neoplan Polska licensee. Main products include buses, trolleybuses and trams. Established the company in Bolechowo near Poznan.

• 5.1 Use in Germany
• 5.2 Use in Austria
• 5.3 Use in Switzerland

History

The company was founded in 1994 as Neoplan Polska Sp z oo established as a sales office by the family. Krzysztof Olszewski owner had previously been active in Berlin over 15 years in leadership positions in the Neoplan station. The first remote bus was a Neoplan N 4020 for the urban bus operation in the Polish capital Warsaw. After winning a tender for 72 buses for urban transport companies Poznań, the company opened its own factory in 1996 in the nearby Bolechowo where low-floor buses and coaches were manufactured in Neoplan license. Neoplan Polska was within a few years the Polish market leader for city buses.

In the second half of the 90s Neoplan Polska developed their own design office, which was responsible for research and development work. Consequently, Solaris in the early days every 2-3 years new models. Around 2000 people were employed in the development office on 60. 2010, there were 140 people.

In 1999, Neoplan Polska front of the independently developed low-floor city bus " Solaris Urbino " which was created with special consideration for the wishes of existing customers. The visual design was done by the Berlin-based design studio IFS. At the same time, a green dachshund was introduced as a mascot. The following year an Urbino 15 was delivered to the Czech Ostrava was the first export order, the same year followed by two Urbino 12 for a bus company in Berlin. After the licensor Auwärter had been a 30% stake in the company since 1999, the company went again in 2000 completely in the possession of the Olszewski family over. Following the acquisition of Scania by MAN in Germany in September 2001, the name changed to Solaris Bus & Coach Sp, at the same time ended with the increasing success of their own family, the production of Neoplan under license.

In the same year expanded its product range to Solaris independently developed coaches, referred to as " Vacanza ", as well as to low-floor trolleybuses on the basis of Urbino, who received the name " Trollino ". With these models, more success in the export business could be achieved. For example, the Italian capital of Rome opened their set in 1972 Oberleitungsbusbetrieb in 2005 with Solaris vehicles. Since 2004, the buses from Solaris are available with natural gas drive, as well as all product families were visually and technically revised and expanded the Urbino series to a low-entry version. In July 2005 the company was converted into a limited company, the company name has since read Solaris Bus & Coach SA. 2005 610 buses were produced, of which 80 % was exported. At the same time the Berlin Transport Authority ordered as part of the Solaris largest ever contract 260 articulated buses Urbino 18 for delivery in the following years.

As part of the expansion began in 2005 to a multiple year extension of the factory complex. In 2006, Solaris an articulated on the basis of Urbino before, which has a hybrid drive. Known as the ' Urbino 18 Hybrid " designated vehicle had its first missions in Germany and was the first European bus, the standard uses hybrid technology. The product range was also expanded in 2007 to the midi-bus " Alpino ", which was specifically designed for tight inner city areas and winding mountain roads in the Alps. 2008 was followed by other low-entry variants of models of Urbino series.

The biggest single contract awarded Solaris in July 2008 by the Athens bus company E.THE.L who ordered 320 low-floor buses, which were delivered in late 2008 to early 2009. At the same time, the company received another major order for 150 Urbino buses for the Municipal Bus Company of Warsaw.

Krzysztof Olszewski was from the start until October 2008, the CEO of Solaris. After many years of clothing that role, he moved & Coach to the top of the Supervisory Board of Solaris Bus. The position of CEO took over his wife Solange, who was responsible for customer relations earlier in the company.

In September 2011, the prototype of the city bus was presented with the electric drive Solaris Urbino electric. Exactly one year later, the electric bus was presented in 12-meter version at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2012 in Hanover. 2012 sold for the first time Solaris trolleybuses. More product innovations in 2012 were the Solaris Urbino 18.75 and a revised version of the high-floor rural-service bus InterUrbino. The company is also active in the rail vehicles segment. The delivery of trams in bi-directional design for Jena is planned for the second half of 2013. 2012 Solaris signed two more contracts for trams. One comes from Braunschweig, the second from the Polish Olsztyn.

Since the start of production in 1996 left nearly 10,000 vehicles the factory. Go to customers in 26 countries. Solaris Bus & Coach S. A. Solaris employs over 2,000 people in Poland, more than 300 additional work for foreign subsidiaries.

Business data

Solaris Bus & Coach is a public company whose shares are fully owned by the Olszewski family. Krzysztof Olszewski and Solange Olszewska also act as the company's CEO.

In 2011, on a turnover of 370 million euros: produced 1,205 buses, 687 of which were exported (2007 714 million zloty / euro 189 million ) (2007: 702 buses in total, 400 exported). In Poland Solaris Bus & Coach was the market leader with a market share of 42 % in the urban and rural regular-service buses with a share of 54 % segment. In the largest export market for Germany was Solaris with 6 % market share strongest importer (2007: 5% market share) and third-strongest force in accordance with German companies EvoBusund Neoman.

2012 Solaris sold a total of more than a thousand vehicles. 28 % of which were delivered to Polish customers. With a share of 46.6 % in the domestic market for city buses in 2012, Solaris is the market leader in Poland. In Germany Solaris built his share of the German city bus market in 2012 from 10% to 13%. In Austria, the company was able to increase its market share in the city bus segment by 5.9 % in 2011 to 13.5 % in 2012.

Works

The final assembly of buses and trolleybuses is located in Bolechowo, near Poznan. In addition, Solaris has three other manufacturing plants: two in Środa Wielkopolska ( welding of bus and Oberleitungsbusgerippen and welding of so-called tram box) and one in Poznan ( final assembly of rail vehicles ).

Products

The vehicles of Solaris have a bodyshell skeleton of stainless steel and skins from Dibond aluminum composite material and are very resistant to corrosion. A significant part of the technical components comes from suppliers in Germany and the rest of Western Europe. The design of vehicles falls on mainly by its form game; characteristic, for example, the asymmetrically shaped windshield. Currently, Solaris, the following vehicle types offered:

Buses with internal combustion engine

The Urbino buses of the second generation stand out for their very rounded roof edge. For a better integration of the lateral line ads have been changed in the current third generation.

• Alpino 8.6: Midibus, length 8.6 m
• Alpino 8.9 LE: Midibus in low-entry design, length 8.9 m
• Urbino 10: short two-axle bus, length 10 m
• Urbino 12: two-axle bus, length 12 m (two - or three-door )
• Urbino 12 LE: solobus in low-entry design, length 12 m
• Urbino 15: three-axle buses, length 15 m
• Urbino 15 LE: three-axle bus in low-entry design, length 15 m
• Urbino 18: three-axle articulated bus, length 18 m ( three - or four-door )
• Urbino 18 LE: three-axle articulated bus in low-entry design, length 18 m ( three-door )
• Urbino 18.75: three-axle articulated bus, long 18.75 m ( three - or four-door )

The Alpino has a width of 2.4 m, the models of the Urbino family of products are 2,55 m wide. All vehicles are low floor.

The buses are equipped as standard with diesel engines or Cummins DAF, but the models with lengths of 12 meters and more are also available with natural gas engines by Iveco. In this embodiment, their names are marked by CNG adjusted.

On the 58th UITP World Congress from 7 to 11 June 2009 in Vienna, Solaris before the Urbino New Edition. In this model, the interior and the driver's workplace have been redesigned. The centerpiece of the interior design is a ceiling structure of illuminated plastic that is designed to increase the feeling of safety of the passengers with constant illumination. The touch -screen technology of the driver's workplace to enable a situational instrument display.

InterUrbino

• InterUrbino 12: Agriculture, School Bus, length 12 m
• InterUrbino 12.8: overland, School Bus, length 12,8 m

By the passenger compartment can be freely designed, the InterUrbino is equipped for use as a school bus. Function of this equipment is the maximum number of seats in the vehicle. In the Überlandbusausführung she is 55, as School Bus 59

In the driveline three engines ( 9.2 liter DAF PR; Cummins ISB 6.7 liter, FPT / Iveco Tector 5.9 l) and four transmission ( ZF 6 -speed manual gearbox, ZF Ecolife, Voith Diwa 5, Allison Torqmatic ) available for selection.

Hybrid buses

• Solaris Urbino 12 Hybrid: solobus, length 12 m
• Urbino 18 Hybrid: Articulated, length 18 m

To install five different hybrid systems are used in collaboration with Eaton, Allison Transmission, Vossloh Kiepe, Voith Turbo and Škoda Electric.

Trolleybuses

• Trollino 12: biaxial O bus, length 12 m
• Trollino 15: triaxial O bus, length 15 m
• Trollino 18: Joint O bus, length 18 m

The vehicles are based on the Urbino family and how they are 2.55 m wide. The electrical equipment was supplied by the French company Cegelec. In the past, it also cooperated with the Hungarian company Ganz, who also took over the final assembly of vehicles. Due to technical difficulties, this cooperation was terminated, however.

Coach

• Vacanza 12: high-wing, length 12 m
• Vacanza 13: high-wing, length 13 m

The vehicles are 2.55 m wide and are driven by diesel engines, the company DAF.

Electric buses

• Urbino 8.9 LE electric: Midibus in low-entry design, length 8.9 m
• Urbino 12 electric: two-axle bus, length 12 m (two - or three-door )

The electric drive of the Solaris Urbino electric comes from Vossloh Kiepe and has a power output of 120 kW. The power for the motor is stored by two liquid- cooled lithium -ion batteries with a nominal output of 600V and 120kWh. A cargo of batteries should be sufficient for about 100 km, according to Solaris.

Specialized Vehicles

Besides the usual lines and coaches provides Solaris also manufactures special vehicles for special purposes, based on the normal models. Here they specialize mainly on mobile blood donation centers based on the coach model Vacanza.

Other models

From 2000 to 2002, as the shortest version of the Urbino family of products, a nine -meter-long, as Urbino made ​​9 labeled version. As part of the revision of the model range it was replaced by the Urbino 10.

In the second half of 2002 -designed for the needs of bus services on the Mediterranean island of Malta niederfluriger intercity bus was introduced, which was called Valletta. Based on a new floor was a group is laid out for left-hand traffic bus having a width of only 2.5 meters due to the Maltese road conditions. There were only sold three copies to Malta before the production was discontinued. On the city traffic Transexpo fair in Kielce in Poland, however, a variant of Valletta was shown in 2007, which was designed as an ordinary left-hand drive for the needs of Polish intercity bus operators. Mass production has not yet begun.

Tram

In March 2006, Solaris Bus & Coach signed a contract with Bombardier Transportation and Vossloh Kiepe about the production and delivery of three -section low -floor tramcars Bombardier NGT6 / 2 MPK Kraków ( Cracow). This Bombardier took over the delivery of the mechanics share, Kiepe and of electrical engineering components and Solaris logistical tasks and the final assembly. The agreement included the delivery of 50 units for MPK Krakow and three vehicles for the transport companies in Gdańsk (Danzig) in the years 2007 and 2008.

Under the name Tramino developed a Solaris low-floor tram - car type, which is intended mainly for the Polish market. The full low-floor tram vehicle is designed for lengths between 18.8 m (three parts) and 31.7 m ( five-part ). Produced at a later variants, however, as well as with a 70 % low-floor not excluded. In the summer of 2009, the maiden voyage took place.

Main competitor on the Polish market is the PESA in Bydgoszcz ( Bromberg ). On the other hand, the vehicles should be adapted to the BOStrab. Solaris expects in the future to achieve with tram vehicles the same turnover as with buses. Although the expected numbers but the cost per unit are lower, but higher.

In Germany, the Jena GmbH transport and traffic Braunschweiger AG Traminos have ordered.

2012 Solaris also signed a contract with the Polish Olsztyn, would reintroduce trams to 55 years. The delivery of fifteen 29 -meter trams in two-way construction is planned for 2014.

Use

The largest market for Solaris buses is Poland, where the company had a 23% share of the market leader in 2007. The market share of the urban and suburban buses sector reached 44%; at times the licensed production of Neoplan vehicles he was up to 70 % but still much higher. In Poland there are more than 1,800 buses of types Alpino, Urbino and Trollino and over 50 coaches of the type Vacanza in use. Larger numbers of Solaris buses have also been delivered to Germany, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Switzerland. 2008 225 Urbino were delivered to the Roads & Transport Authority of the United Arab Emirate of Dubai, which buses will be used for the first time outside Europe.

Use in Germany

The first delivered to Germany Solaris buses went in 2000 to the Berlin company ABUS and were also the first delivered to Western Europe vehicles of a Polish manufacturer. The export business has developed over the following years positive, so that already in 2006 the 500 bus to a German customer, in this case, the Bochum- Gelsenkirchen trams AG, was handed over.

In the spring of 2008, more than 830 Solaris buses stood at over 70 German customers. The biggest customers were the Berlin public transport with 253 vehicles, the Dresden Transport with 57 buses and the Kassel public transport company with 52 vehicles. The vehicles come almost exclusively the Urbino family, among which are also the first used in Germany Midi buses of the Alpino that took up in August 2007 to operate in Garching near Munich. So far, only four coaches of the type Vacanza could be sold to Germany.

Already in 2006 the first Urbino 18 Hybrid was delivered to the Dresden Transport, where he was a comparison test with a conventionally powered Urbino subjected to 18. The Leipzig Transport received in 2007 a ​​vehicle of the same type, another vehicle was handed over in early 2008 Bochum- Gelsenkirchen trams AG.

In the Bremen tram AG ( BSAG ) were in March 2008, the following Solaris buses in use:

• 22 articulated buses with 3 axes, Solaris Urbino 18, Engines: DAF, 228 kW, EEV-Standard/Partikelfilter, lift, air conditioning
• 1 hybrid articulated bus with 3 axes, Solaris Urbino 18 Hybrid II, wheelchair ramp, air conditioning
• 16 solo buses with two axles, Solaris Urbino 12; Engine: DAF, 183 kW, EEV-Standard/Partikelfilter, lift, air conditioning
• 2 midi buses with two axles, type Solaris Alpino 8.6; Engines: Cummins, 165 kW, Euro-5-Motor/Partikelfilter, ramp, air conditioning

BSAG intended in 2008 to buy a further 40 Solaris buses. The aim of the BSAG is to have around 150 buses in operation in late 2010.

On 27 July 2008, the Munich Transport Company (MVG ) presents its first Solaris Urbino 12 and 18 buses in the MVG Museum to the public.

In July 2009, four articulated buses of the type Urbino were taken at 18 of the Jena transport company in operation.

Since September 2010 when the NEW, Mönchengladbach, three cars of the type Urbino 12 in use (No. 1013-1015 ). In summer 2011, another 14 units were placed (No. 1101-1114 ) in service a short time later came another Urbino 12 Hybrid ( 1115 ). In the summer of 2012 again came 20 copies Urbino 12 (No. 1201-1220 ) and the end of 2012 as a single copy in an Urbino 18 ( No 1261 ). Thus, the total number of Solaris buses has now increased to 39 pieces.

Even more traffic operations at Niederrhein have buses of types Urbino Urbino 12 and 18 taken in recent years in operation: Dusseldorf, Neuss, Krefeld, Viersen, Geilenkirchen ( circle Heinberg ).

Effective November 6, 2010, O bus fleet is replaced in Eberswalde by twelve Trollino Solaris 18.

Four were taken Urbino 18 articulated buses for Stadtwerke Hamm in operation in Hamm On August 5, 2011.

Since January 2012, are in Landshut two Urbino 12, 18 and a two Urbino Urbino 8.6 at Stadtwerke Landshut in use since September 2012 and 20 buses of the NEW AG, Monchengladbach.

Meanwhile, Frankfurt am Main is behind Berlin, the city with the second most Solaris buses in Germany. 2007, the first 37 three-door buses of type Urbino 12 were taken into operation, is now within the city limits, a number of 129 buses of various types in use.

Stadtwerke Münster have taken their first vehicles Solaris operating on 22 October 2012, eight Urbino 18 Since 2003, is the entrepreneur Theo's two trips Urbino 12 on behalf of Stadtwerke one.

In Hanau am Main early March 2013, the first two Solaris Urbino 8.9 put into operation at the tram Hanauer GmbH.

The L.I.N.I.E. Kirchweihtal in the Bavarian- Swabian Kaufbeuren sets since 2009 Germany far a the first trailer towing vehicles with Solaris. In this case, the Solaris Urbino 12 LE a follower of the Swiss manufacturer Hess will be supplied.

Also in Paderborn since 2013 at the company Koller -Touristik a Solaris Urbino III in service.

Use in Austria

In Salzburg trolleybus currently operate 15 trolleybuses of the type Trollino Solaris 18 Three of them were delivered on 14 September 2009. 2011 was followed by twelve cars and 2012/13 were 10 other Solaris delivered Trollino 18 Metro style. Thus, there are a total of 25 trolley buses. In addition to 4 Trollino 18 from La - Chaux -de-Fonds ( Switzerland ), where the O- bus mode is set, purchased.

The first Solaris diesel buses ( two Urbino 10 ) were used from 2004 by the company Loacker on local bus Götzis.

Use in Switzerland

In Switzerland, Solaris has so far recorded mainly smaller sales successes, which, however, went beyond the pure diesel buses of Urbino series addition.

In two cities, trolleybuses Solaris are in use: The city bus Winterthur has ten Trollino 18, but decided in 2009 to buy the next 21 trolleybuses at Hess. The reasons for this were cited: Reduced energy demand, more space, better soundproofing and higher quality of workmanship. Transport Régionaux Neuchâtelois holds three Trollino before 12 and four Trollino 18 for operation in La Chaux -de-Fonds.

The largest Swiss customers for diesel buses from Solaris to spring 2008 were also the city bus Winterthur with 39 vehicles and the bus Chur AG with 14 vehicles. In Interlaken are also several Urbino 12 as a post car in use. Owned by the Eurobus Group Company Region Lenzburg sets since June 2007, a one Urbino 18 Hybrid, which is the first vehicle of its kind in Switzerland.