In an interview with Dhiyanesh Ravichandran, Solaris Bus and Coach CEO Javier Calleja elaborates about the Polish bus maker’s strategies on product portfolio and transition to zero emission technologies – battery-electric and hydrogen included – for the European markets
Europe is the emerging hotspot for electric city buses in the world, next to China. Experts ascertain a fleet size of around 4,000 electric buses across the continent at present, of which about one-fourth accounts for those manufactured by Solaris Bus and Coach S.A. It is one of the leading bus and trolleybus manufacturers in Europe, also expected to be the largest e-bus producing brand in terms of volumes. Just a month ago, the company bagged an order for 20 battery-electric buses for the Polish city of Jaworzno.
With over 25 years of experience in the bus industry, having manufactured more than 19,000 vehicles so far, the CAF Group (Spain)-owned company is setting new standards in zero emission mobility solutions, including hydrogen fuel cell buses. The Solaris range also includes conventional diesel buses, hybrid variants (series and parallel systems) with batteries and super-capacitators along with low-emission CNG. The company is also known for fabricating a variety of bi-articulated and trolley buses, inter-city, special application buses and trams. Its latest 24-metre Trollino 24 MetroStyle double articulated trolley bus has won the International Top Design award during the Arena Design 2020 event in Poznan. Excerpts from the interview:
At the last Busworld Europe 2019 expo, Solaris presented three novelty products for electric mass mobility, of which two are articulated and trolley buses with batteries. What are the prospects for these products in the European market?
We have a very broad portfolio of products and powertrain technologies, to which the Solaris Urbino 18 and Trollino 24 MetroStyle are the new additions. These are less of mass market products but are best suited for certain routes and operators who want higher capacity vehicles with zero emission credentials. The market space for these products is expected to increase significantly in the coming years, although the focus is more on the European markets.
Yet another new product that Solaris launched was the Urbino 12 hydrogen. Where do you place hydrogen-powered buses in your larger vision of zero emission mobility? Is the market ready for hydrogen technology?
Solaris was one of the first OEMs to direct its research and development efforts towards electric drivelines. A decade later, we are now supplementing our zero emission bus range with the Urbino 12 hydrogen. Hydrogen technology is a perfect complement to e-mobility, especially for those routes that demand high flexibility in operations including longer driving range and faster refuelling time. This bus can drive up to 350 km while preserving all advantages of an electric engine. Refilling takes just a couple of minutes and thus ensures flexibility and elasticity to the vehicle’s operator. Meanwhile, yes, the market adoption of hydrogen is too early at present and is not suitable for every customer. It is projected to pick up in 10 years in select markets. Further, hydrogen technology can also play a critical role in making the industry’s transition to zero emission and sustainable mobility faster and affordable.
At Solaris, how do you strategize your product portfolio and powertrain technologies on offer to buyers? Any plans to expand the same into light mobility vehicles?
At the outset, our strategic objective is to serve the needs of our clients in the best way possible. A diverse portfolio of products and technologies is necessary to be successful as there is no one solution for every client. It is all about offering the ‘right’ solutions that perfectly match their demands and expectations. Electrification is coming in a big way in the bus industry, much beyond our initial expectations, and hence it is one of our prime focus areas at present. That said, the conventional diesel is still a fantastic and affordable solution to reduce traffic jams and emission problems of our cities, while hybrids and natural gas can make the transition to e-mobility smoother. Our current portfolio serves much of our customer requirements. Therefore, our priority right now is to have reliable and good-performing products, not necessarily our presence in all segments.
Could you elaborate about your brand’s presence in Europe? Which are the other markets or regions that interest you?
The European region is our core market where we find lots of opportunities emerging. At present, Europe is in the middle of a massive transition to electric mobility, with buses playing a critical role in the transition. Hence, this region will continue to remain in focus. Meanwhile, we are exploring new markets as well. We have to consider them in a larger perspective. As and when the right opportunities emerge, we will be ready with the right products and strategies.
How do you see the European bus market evolving in the next 10 years? What sort of business models or technologies you think will be the future for this region?
I truly believe that bus transportation will be a significant means to go sustainable, more so in cities and urban centres, and city buses are expected to gain a huge market share. High quality and innovative solutions with cleaner powertrain technologies will continue to gain importance. Hence, there awaits a great future for buses in general. More specifically, the electrification of buses is already here and is a reality now. It will continue to evolve; the technologies will mature in the coming years with better batteries and more efficient powertrains although it is difficult to predict in which direction the evolution would happen. On the whole, we can expect better-performing and highly sophisticated buses hitting our roads. They are sure to become the ‘regular’ buses in Europe.