At Busworld 2019 Solaris presents three zero-emission vehicles • Solaris Urbino 18 electric – zero-emission bus with new batteries • Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen – new generation hydrogen vehicle • Solaris Trollino 24 – a bi-articulated platform for zero emission public transportation vehicles
Solaris has been developing its portfolio of alternative drivelines vehicles for over ten years now, having become one of the top players on the European electromobility market. Thanks to the tenders won by Solaris in the past weeks, the firm has turned a European leader in terms of deals secured for electric buses. The electric buses supplied by the company to 16 countries so far have traversed over 20 million kilometres in total, in varying climate conditions.
At this year’s edition of Busworld exhibition in Brussels on 18-23 October, Solaris is presenting three new vehicles. All of them are fitted with zero-emission at the point of operation drivelines.
Nowadays, the distinctive line of the articulated Urbino 18 electric is known to many operators; over 200 models have been commissioned by clients so far. The bus displayed at the Busworld, however, has been uniquely equipped.
What is an absolute novelty is the new-generation Solaris High Energy+ batteries which the manufacturer is showing in Brussels for the first time. The batteries stand out on account of their high energy density, thanks to which the bus will easily be able to cover 200 km on a single charging session, irrespective of road and weather conditions. However, the perfected parameters of the energy storage will also allow to maintain a still significant passenger load at a much increased range – there will be room for 120 people on board of the articulated electric bus, 40 of them seated. 7 battery packs with a total capacity of 553 kWh have been installed in the Urbino 18 electric. 3 batteries have been stowed away in the rear end of the vehicle, and four – on the roof of the first section. The bus is charged via a plug-in connector or pantograph charging – depends on operator’s preferences.
The Solaris Urbino 18 electric on display has also been equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) which significantly increase both travel comfort and – above all – safety. The Mobileye Shield+ device remedies the risk of collisions with pedestrians or cyclists thanks to a system of smart cameras which constantly monitor the so-called blind spots in a vehicle. The driver is alerted to potential dangers with audio and visual signals.
What is more, the electric Solaris will feature the system initiating automatic braking, i.e. the CMS (Collision Mitigation System). When a radar installed on top of the bus detects the risk of a potential head-on collision, the system goes into braking mode, reducing velocity and thus alleviating the consequences of a potential collision.
Where the side mirrors would be conventionally, the 18-meter Solaris features cameras that ensure improved visibility not only in bright sunlight, but also during rain or snowfall, as well as at night. What is more, the cameras increase the field of view substantially and they improve the aerodynamics of the vehicle. This new solution is already available for the whole Urbino family.
In order to reduce the energy consumption as much as possible, the articulated Urbino electric features air conditioning with a heat pump which uses heat from the outside to generate an adequate temperature inside the vehicle. This device uses carbon dioxide as the working medium which is currently considered the most environment-friendly solution. The implementation of the CO2 heat pump is intended to enhance the energy efficacy of the vehicle, and thus increase its drive range, but also to reduce noxiousness.
Yet another innovation applied in the vehicle is a traction inverter produced in the originative SiC technology, i.e. using silicon carbide. Owing to this, the device can operate at higher voltage, frequencies and temperatures, which in turn, results in a significant reduction of the mass and size of the power converter and in a general increase in efficiency of the whole system.
Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen
Solaris was one of the first electric bus manufacturers to direct its research and development efforts towards electric drivelines. Nearly a decade after the première of its first e-bus, Solaris is now supplementing its zero-emission bus range with the Urbino 12 hydrogen in which hydrogen is transformed into electric energy, which is then directly fed into the driveline of the vehicle. Hydrogen technology used for power generation will enable buses to traverse even longer distances completely emission-free.
Hydrogen-fuelled buses will allow to create a complementary emission-free bus portfolio thanks to which Solaris will be braced for contemporary challenges and the diverse needs of customers with regard to range, flexibility and operability of vehicles. The manufacturer believes that the development of all electromobility branches, be that battery buses, trolleybuses or hydrogen-fuelled vehicles, should proceed in synergy, and that this process is indispensable to ensure sustainable transport of the future. Therefore, hydrogen-powered buses of Solaris will not constitute competition for battery buses or models of the Trollino series. Quite the opposite: these technologies will complement each other perfectly and they will all benefit from the technological progress of electric drivelines and their components.
The advantages of hydrogen as an energy source are indisputable. Thanks to its density and lightness, this element may constitute a clean energy source for vehicles, and it may enable them to cover a distance of up to several hundred kilometres. Considering the fact that hydrogen can be produced from water in the electrolysis process, it constitutes a really clean source of energy. It is also a perfect solution for operators who have access to hydrogen derived from renewable sources, or from the industrial processes. Using reverse electrolysis, hydrogen fuel cells are relatively small in size and they generate energy during the operation of the vehicle. That is why they are an ideal solution when a long drive range has to be ensured. Hydrogen refilling takes little time and is quite convenient, not differing much in essence from refilling a vehicle with other fuels (e.g. CNG).
Solaris gained its first experience in hydrogen when it designed battery vehicles using fuel cells as range extenders. As part of the JIVE initiative, Solaris has supplied two Urbino 18.75 electric to Hamburg and 10 trolleybuses with hydrogen-based range extenders to Riga. At Busworld 2019, Solaris is taking its next steps towards progress presenting new generation of hydrogen bus – Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen.
The Urbino 12 hydrogen is fitted with a cutting-edge fuel cell that acts as a miniature hydrogen power plant on board of the vehicle. Thanks to the use of advanced technology, the bus will be capable of covering up to 350 km on a single refill. In a hydrogen fuel cell, electric power is generated in a process called reverse electrolysis and then passed on directly to the driveline. The sole products of the chemical reaction occurring in the fuel cell are heat and steam. Consequently, the vehicle does not generate any noxious substances whatsoever.
A set of 70 kW fuel cells was used in the Solaris hydrogen buses. The hydrogen system also contains auxiliary devices, responsible for instance for the supply of hydrogen and oxygen at an adequate pressure, for the recirculation of the resource that has not been used up, and also for maintaining a proper and stable temperature of the fuel cells during operation.
The novelty of Solaris’ portfolio will be also fitted with a small Solaris High Power traction battery which is to support the fuel cell whenever the demand for energy is the highest. The battery is filled with energy derived from hydrogen and through the regenerative braking, though it is also possible to recharge it by means of a plug-in socket. Complementing the driveline is an axle with integrated electric motors.
As for the hydrogen storing technology, the Urbino 12 hydrogen features cutting-edge solutions. The chemical element is compressed in gaseous form at a pressure of 350 atmospheres into 5 new-generation tanks placed alongside the bus’ roof. Thanks to the use of type-4 hydrogen tanks, engineers of the Solaris Technical Office managed to reduce the mass of the cyllinders by ca. 20% compared to the parameters of the previous model. The set of composite tanks, placed longitudinally above the first axle of the vehicle, allows for a hydrogen storage capacity of 36.8 kg. A multifunctional valve is installed at the end of each tank; this valve includes a range of safety elements: a solenoid valve, an emergency valve activated by high temperature and an overload valve cutting off the flow of hydrogen in case of loss of containment of the system.
The exceptionally ecological Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen is the result of consistent investments of the producer in zero-emission transport means. The hydrogen bus with a hydrogen fuel cell offers all the benefits of an electric driveline, such as reduced noise emission and vibrations, but it ensures above all a complete lack of emission of noxious substances at the site of operation. Vehicles featuring hydrogen technology also stand out thanks to their wide driving range and the short time needed to refill.
The vehicle displayed at Busworld 2019 has already found its first recipients. SASA Bolzano will be the first customer to receive the newest development of Solaris. Operator from north Italy, has ordered 12 units of the Urbino 12 hydrogen. The contract includes an 8-year service contract as well as a special training for drivers and service staff on the aspects of safe use and servicing of hydrogen vehicles. The deliveries are scheduled for 2021.
Moreover, the representatives of Solaris and Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP) have signed a contract for lease and tests of the Urbino 12 hydrogen. The operator responsible for public transport in Paris will test the Solaris hydrogen bus in regular passenger traffic for a period of 10 weeks (April-June 2020). This is another step made by RATP in the preparations for transforming its fleet to completely zero emissions vehicles.
Solaris Trollino 24
Presented to the public for the first time at the Busworld 2019, the bi-articulated Trollino 24 is the longest vehicle assembled by the Polish manufacturer so far. The idea behind the Trollino was to create a platform for the future serial production of 24-metre vehicles with an electric or hybrid driveline and of trolleybuses. The Trollino 24 is a technically highly advanced model. Its driveline consists of two traction motors of 160 kW each, propelling two drive axles. A pack of 58 kWh batteries installed in the bus is charged during the drive, collecting current from the overhead line via a bipolar pantograph traditionally in use in trolleybuses. What is more, the energy accumulated in the batteries will be used to fuel the trolleybus whenever it is detached from the electric traction line. In order to ease manoeuvres in urban traffic, the fourth axle of the vehicle has also been made the steering axle. Apart from featuring a unique door layout of 1-2-2-2-2, the vehicle has also been fitted with an electric power steering (EPS) system, among others. Up to 215 persons will be able to ride on the trolleybus. This début model features cameras in lieu of side mirrors.
The Solaris Trollino 24 presented at this year’s Busworld 2019 has been prepared in accordance with the MetroStyle design package. The unique design was developed for the exceptional bi-articulated vehicle. The decision on whether to offer the MetroStyle design version in other Solaris models will be made by the manufacturer at a later date.
