Ostrava orders up to 70 more Solaris electric buses
Polish bus manufacturer Solaris has secured another major order for electric buses in the Czech Republic. The transportation company Dopravní podnik Ostrava (DPO) signed a framework contract for the delivery of up to 70 electric buses of the Urbino 12 electric model; deliveries are scheduled for 2027 and 2028.
According to Solaris, this order stems from one of the largest tenders for electric buses ever conducted in the Czech Republic. It is also one of the most extensive vehicle procurement projects in DPO’s history.
The agreement covers two variants of the 12-meter-long Urbino electric, each tailored to different operational requirements. One version offers a range of up to 350 kilometers on a single battery charge, while the second is designed for routes that require a range of up to 250 kilometers. Thanks to the different battery capacities, the transit company can deploy the vehicles according to the needs of each route and daily usage patterns.
All buses are charged via plug-in, primarily overnight at the depot. Additionally, the vehicles are equipped with air conditioning, modern safety systems, and standard amenities for passenger comfort.
The order strengthens Solaris’s position in Ostrava, where the manufacturer has already delivered more than 450 buses, including trolleybuses. The new contract also builds on an existing partnership: back in 2021, DPO 24 ordered 24 Urbino12 electric units along with charging infrastructure — the first order for electric buses that Solaris received in the Czech Republic.
The Urbino 12 electric has also evolved since that first order from the Czech Republic. In 2024, Solaris introduced a comprehensive battery upgrade for this model, increasing the maximum installed battery capacity to over 600 kWh. The revised battery configuration allows operators to optimize the vehicles for either maximum range or maximum passenger capacity depending on route requirements. Solaris has not specified which battery configuration will be used in the buses destined for Ostrava. Only the two range options mentioned—up to 350 km and 250 km—have been confirmed.
solarisbus.com
This article by Carla Westerheide originally appeared in our English-language edition, electrive.com.