Solaris bags 28m euro order for additional 100 CNG buses from Tallinn

At the end of last year, eco-friendly bus maker Solaris announced that it had won a tender in Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, for 100 natural gas-fuelled buses (CNG). The operator has since taken advantage of an option included in the contract and confirmed an order for another 100 buses. The value of this part of the contract amounts to nearly 28 million euros (Rs 231 crore).

In 2019 in Tallinn, Solaris won a tender for the delivery of 60 Urbino 12 buses and 40 articulated vehicles, all fuelled with compressed natural gas (CNG). In accordance with the agreement, the Tallinn carrier Linnatranspordi AS (TLT) has been having the vehicles supplied in batches. 80 of them have been delivered so far, and the remaining 20 units will be delivered to the biggest public transport operator in Estonia by the end of this year.

New order includes 50 articulated Solaris Urbino 18 CNG buses.

Before the end of the deliveries, TLT triggered an option provided for in the main contract and extended the order by another 100 vehicles. This time, the order will encompass 50 Solaris Urbino 12 CNG buses and 50 articulated Solaris Urbino 18 CNG buses. The order is worth 28 million euros (Rs 231 crore). These option vehicles will be delivered in 2021.

Compared to the first batch of the contract, the 100 newly commissioned buses will be kitted out differently: this time the client has opted for closed driver’s cabins with a separate entrance. This is just one of the many solutions offered by the bus maker as part of “anti-coronavirus” package. A closed cabin limits the driver’s contact with passengers, thus minimising their risk of infection. Both in the 12-metre and the 18-metre versions, the heart of the vehicles will be a 239 kW engine adapted to use compressed natural gas (CNG) as fuel. It will boast a cold start function that facilitates starting of the engine at very low outside temperatures. The driveline will be supplemented by an automatic transmission, ensuring optimal travel comfort for drivers and passengers.

New order includes 50 Solaris Urbino 12 CNG buses.

High on comfort and safety
Both versions of the vehicles will be fitted with a series of solutions to improve the travel comfort of passengers. The vehicle will feature, among others, efficient air conditioning for the whole vehicle and dual USB ports installed between the seats in each row. It will also be equipped with a passenger information system with external and internal voice announcement systems, as well as CCTV comprising interior cameras, a road-facing and a rear-view camera.

Additionally, Solaris will equip its vehicles with a whole range of solutions to enhance the safety of passengers and drivers. Also worthy a note are a fire detection and extinguishing system, and a system that monitors refuelling to ensure safety by keeping track of refuelling and fuel consumption.

Our eco-friendly Solaris vehicles have been a familiar sight in the Estonian capital city since 2002. The manufacturer has delivered to Tallinn over 50 emission-free Trollino trolleybuses so far. Thanks to a current order for a total of 200 vehicles, Estonia will become the 14th European country with Solaris vehicles running on compressed natural gas. Apart from the domestic market of the manufacturer, over 1,400 low-emission Urbino CNG buses have now been delivered to cities in Germany, Norway, Sweden, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Spain, France and Italy – to name but a few.  

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