Saint-Étienne orders 10 more Solaris trolleybuses, bringing fleet to 41 units
Solaris has secured a new contract to supply 10 articulated Trollino 18 trolleybuses to Saint-Étienne Métropole in France, with deliveries scheduled for late 2027. The order, placed through the Centrale d’Achat de Transport Public (CATP), will bring the number of Solaris trolleybuses delivered to the French metropolitan authority to 41 units, including 23 twelve-metre vehicles and 18 articulated models.
Saint-Étienne’s cooperation with Solaris dates back to 2019, when the manufacturer entered the French trolleybus market with an initial order for 22 Trollino vehicles. The project involved Solaris and Škoda Electric in the first deliveries of Trollino trolleybuses to France.
According to the latest information released by Solaris, a total of 23 twelve-metre Trollino trolleybuses have been delivered to Saint-Étienne since the beginning of the cooperation. The fleet was subsequently expanded in 2025 with the delivery of eight articulated Trollino 18 trolleybuses.
The city’s trolleybus fleet renewal programme included the adoption of in-motion charging technology by Saint-Étienne Métropole, allowing trolleybuses to use onboard batteries when operating away from overhead wires.
Solaris Trollino 18 for Saint-Étienne
The 10 new Solaris Trollino 18 trolleybuses will be 18 metres long and equipped with a 250 kW traction motor. The vehicles will also feature onboard batteries, allowing operation on sections of the network without overhead contact lines.
In brief
How many Solaris trolleybuses has Saint-Étienne ordered? The latest contract covers 10 Trollino 18 vehicles, bringing the total Solaris fleet to 41 units.
When will the new Trollino 18 trolleybuses be delivered? Deliveries are scheduled for late 2027.
How many articulated Solaris trolleybuses will operate in Saint-Étienne? The articulated fleet will reach 18 units following the new deliveries.
The manufacturer specifies that the new trolleybuses will be equipped with camera-based systems replacing conventional exterior rear-view mirrors. The safety equipment package will include driver fatigue and distraction monitoring, intelligent speed assistance, lane change assistance, and pedestrian and cyclist detection.
The vehicles will also incorporate Solaris’ eSConnect remote diagnostics system, providing fleet monitoring and maintenance-related data. The contract has been awarded through CATP, the French public transport purchasing organisation.
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