Representatives of Solaris and Poland-based transit agency MPK Łódź have signed a contract for the lease of 63 buses with mild hybrid drive. The contract includes servicing and maintenance of these vehicles for a period of 10 years. Deliveries of the 12- and 18-meter low-emission buses are scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2024.
As part of the deal reported by MPK Łódź, Solaris will deliver 15 Urbino 12 buses and 48 Urbino 18 buses, and all models will be equipped with mild hybrid drive. The new buses will be distributed between two depots in the Polish city of Łódź — the Limanowskiego Depot and the Nowe Sady Depot. One of the 12-meter buses will be specially equipped and adapted to accommodate driving lessons offered by the MPK Łódź Driver Training Center.
The mild hybrid drive in the buses intended for MPK Łódź is a natural development of the recuperative technology in buses, a technology using energy generated during braking. With the mild hybrid drive, vehicles are more environmentally friendly and far exceed the strict Euro 6 emissions standards for diesel engines.
This system is based on three crucial elements: an electric machine, an energy storage system and a driver to monitor the system’s operation. When braking, the electric components of the bus serve as a generator and recharge the energy storage system with maximum available power. When the storage unit is partially or fully recharged, during acceleration, the electric components function as an electric engine supporting operation of the diesel engine.
The Urbino mild hybrid is a response to the market’s demand for modern public transport vehicles that minimize environmental impact and also reduce fuel consumption.