Tallinn public transportation company Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS (TLT) is to begin testing the fully electric Solaris Urbino 12 Electric bus in the capital city on August 15.
“Solaris Urbino 12 Electric is the factory’s prototype bus, which will be used for introducing the technological solution of a fully electric bus as well as assessing its suitability in local conditions,” TLT supervisory board chairman Enno Tamm said in a press release on August 14.
Solaris Bus & Coach S.A.’s fully electric bus is slated to begin test runs on August 15. Testing of the vehicle will be carried out on several different routes, and the range of the vehicle’s battery and its compliance with expectations will be revealed at the end of the testing period.
The Urbino 12 Electric measures 12 meters in length, 2.55 meters in width and 3.25 meters in height. The prototype bus seats 30 and accommodates 45 standing passengers. The vehicle utilizes plug-in or overnight charging, and its standard equipment includes air conditioning.
Last fall, the Urbino 12 Electric was awarded Bus of the Year 2017 by a jury consisting of 19 representatives from across Europe.
The scheduled testing of the fully electric bus is the latest in a series of steps TLT has taken toward favoring hybrid and fully electric transport.
A total of 44 hybrid buses are currently operating daily on public transport routes in Tallinn. The company’s supervisory board, which met on June 30, analyzed the ongoing experience with the hybrid buses and thereafter made the fundamental decision to only purchase hybrid or fully electric buses for public transport in the future. (ERR/Business World Magazine)
