Solaris, an European manufacturer of electric buses, has made history by delivering 15 Solaris Urbino 12 electric buses to Tallinn, Estonia. These buses mark the country’s first foray into electric public transportation.
In addition to the buses, Solaris has provided the necessary charging infrastructure, including 15 stationary chargers at the depot and two pantograph chargers along the bus routes. This dual-charging capability allows the buses to be charged using a plug-in connector or an inverted pantograph.
The contract value, encompassing the delivery of the buses and charging infrastructure, exceeds 10 million euros, according to Solaris.
The public transport operator Aktsiaselts Tallinna Linnatransport (TLT) placed the order for the electric buses just a few months ago. TLT is the largest public transport operator in Estonia and is keen to leverage this opportunity to gain valuable experience with battery buses in different weather conditions, driving scenarios, and passenger comfort.
“We will be the first in Estonia to gain invaluable experience of how battery buses behave in our weather, what are their driving characteristics and passenger comfort. We are definitely ready to meet with other transport companies and share experiences so that modern electric vehicles reach the streets of other Estonian cities as well,” said Kaido Padar, a member of the board of TLT.
The move aligns with Tallinn’s broader ambition to electrify its city transport. Earlier this year, the city announced plans to introduce 40 battery trolleybuses over the next three to five years, complementing the recently acquired battery-electric buses.
