Poland / Sweden – Solaris Bus & Coach SA* of Bolechowo (a CAF Group subsidiary), after it announced earlier this year it was to add the 15m Urbino inter-urban and intercity bus version to its full electric portfolio, the company has released more details of the driveline, which will feature for the first time the CeTrax ‘drop-in’ central drive electric axle from ZF Friedrichshafen AG of Friedrichshafen in Germany. (ZF confirmed Solaris is the first customer for CeTrax, but others would be announced soon).

Solaris said later this year would see the manufacture of a completely new generation of the Solaris Urbino SU15 LE model, created solely with zero-emission drivelines in mind. The bus is to be certified and offered with specification characteristic for class I vehicles (ie city buses) and, for class II vehicles – a bus for inter-city transport. It is to be available with either a two-door (2-2-0) or three-door (2-2-1) layout and passenger seating capacity will total 55 persons for class II vehicles.