Public buses are known to be a more efficient form of public transport. They also help reduce carbon emission because they take lots of privately owned cars off the road. However, when the public buses are electric, they further reduce the negative impact of transportation on the environment.
It is therefore exciting when a city opts for electric buses, just Barcelona has done. The Spanish city, home to one of the most famous soccer clubs, has ordered 24 electric Solaris-made buses. The Urbino 12 buses will land in the capital city in 2022, at the cost of €12m.
The Urbino 12 buses are quiet, emission-free, and attract low maintenance costs, as electric buses go. They are also able to operate for 24 hours a day with the proper battery configuration.
Electric buses are not new in Barcelona as the city authority had earlier deployed 19 articulated Urbino 18 electric buses. The first set of battery-powered public buses arrived in Barcelona in 2015.
The Urbino 12 buses are powered by Solaris High Energy batteries with 400 kWh capacity and will charge with pantograph and plug-in tech. A single centrally placed electric motor provides the automotive force.
While the buses will work noiselessly, they are also safe to drive. They include driver-assist techs like MMobileeye Shield+ for reducing blind spot risks and MirrorEye systems that replace the side-view mirrors with a system of cameras. Without the side mirrors, the Urbino buses can navigate narrower and crowded streets.
Other features of these zero-emission buses include a passenger counter for tracking the flow of passengers.
Solaris is a top player in Europe when it comes to the production and sales of low- and zero-emission buses. The company has deployed about 3000 zero-emission Solaris vehicles, including over 1000 electric buses, in many European cities.
Renewable Brief 