Solaris: 30 Urbino 18 electric buses roll into Dortmund

The Dortmund public utilities (DSW21) have ordered 30 Solaris Urbino 18 electric articulated buses as part of their "StromFahrer" project, which will be delivered at the end of this year and are expected to go into service after an "intensive trial operation" starting in March 2023. Dortmund has invested around 24 million euros to finance their entry into electromobility, with 13.6 million euros in funding provided by the Federal Ministry for the Environment. An additional 4.2 million euros in subsidies could now come from the state of NRW, according to the transport company. The necessary charging infrastructure will be provided by the Polish company Ekoenergetyka and Omexom Frankenluk from Germany.

"We have come a big step closer to the entry into electromobility in Dortmund. With Solaris, Ekoenergetyka, and Omexom Frankenluk, we now have strong partners by our side who enjoy an excellent reputation in the industry and have a wealth of experience. With their support, our bus fleet, which is already among the most modern in the country, will make a big step forward in terms of climate-friendliness and also further reduce noise and pollutant emissions in Dortmund," said Hubert Jung, DSW21's transport director.

Deployment from March 2023 on heavily trafficked routes

The selected heavily trafficked and interconnected routes 470, 440, and 437, which traverse the Ruhr metropolis on their over 300 km long daily route from Mengede to Sölde, will allow especially many passengers to experience electromobility up close, according to the press release.

Refueling at the depot

The electric articulated buses will be refueled at the Brünninghausen depot, which is conveniently located on the trafficked sections. The public utilities are relying on a central charging concept, with the electric buses in service being replaced once a day with a freshly charged bus. However, before it can start, the "Brünninghausen depot, where the e-buses will be stationed, also needs to be extensively prepared for their arrival," said DSW21 project manager Karl Naundorf.

"Power supply, charging points, workshops with roof workspace, parking areas, and not least training for hundreds of employees in the workshop and in transport service on handling e-buses - all this and much more are on our plan for this year," describes Naundorf the tasks.

The Urbino 18 electric will be equipped with durable and powerful Solaris High Energy batteries with a capacity of over 600 kWh - so recharging on the route is not necessary - the range is expected to be at least 200 km.

Air conditioning

For thermal comfort, an efficient and environmentally friendly air conditioning system with a CO2 heat pump will be used. The climate control system is designed to regulate the interior temperature depending on the outside temperature, ensuring that the interior is always comfortably tempered. According to Solaris, this contributes to the energy efficiency of the vehicle and positively affects the range of the electric buses.

Safety

On board the Solaris Urbino 18 electric is the driver assistance system Mobil Eye Shield+. It detects cyclists and other moving objects in the blind spot and in front of the vehicle and warns the driver of potential danger situations visually and acoustically.

Additional details

Other features of the electric articulated buses include USB charging ports, a passenger information system, and environmentally friendly LED lighting.