Transport operator Przedsiębiorstwo Komunikacji Miejskiej (PKM) in Katowice, Poland, has signed a contract for five Solaris Urbino 12 electric buses to be supplied in the second quarter of 2021. . These will join the 10 already commissioned by the capital of Silesia.

At the beginning of the year, Solaris supplied five articulated Urbino 18 electric buses to the PKM operator. In a few weeks, 5 twelve-meter electric buses will be delivered.

The value of the new contract amounts to PLN 12.4 million (~€3.1 million). Apart from the vehicles, Solaris is also to provide five stationary plug-in charging devices.

The electric buses for Katowice will be driven by a 160 kW central traction motor. The energy needed to propel the vehicles will be stored in a set of Solaris High Energy+ batteries, with a total capacity of 237 kWh. They will be recharged using a plug-in connector and an inverted pantograph.

The buses will carry at least 80 passengers at a time, 26 of them will be provided seats. The equipment of Urbino 12 electric ordered by PKM Katowice will include: efficient air conditioning, an extensive passenger information system and CCTV, including passenger compartment cameras and a reversing camera. A separate camera has been placed in the driver’s cabin. The equipment will be complemented by a set of ŚKUP devices (Silesian Public Service Card), enabling the purchase of a ticket in a vehicle among others, and USB chargers, which allow passengers to charge their mobile devices.