Germany: Leipzig orders 40 electric articulated buses from Solaris

Leipzig Transport Authority (LVB) has ordered 40 new articulated electric buses, specifically the Solaris Urbino 18 electric. They will replace older diesel vehicles. The first 15 electric buses will be delivered from November 2026, with the remaining 25 arriving from mid-2027.

After the German state of Saxony approved €13.5 million in funding last year, the Polish manufacturer secured the order for 40 articulated electric buses from LVB. As LVB spokesman Marc Backhaus told the Leipziger Volkszeitung, Solaris won in an EU-wide tender against five competitors.

The choice fell on the Solaris Urbino 18 electric. While the model is available with battery capacities of up to 800 kWh (gross, 640 kWh net), providing a range of over 600 kilometres, Backhaus confirmed that the public transport company opted for the 576 kWh battery, which allows up to 270 kilometres. This is sufficient to operate the e-buses for 24 hours without recharging. “This way, long routes such as 72, 73 or 70 can also be served with the electric vehicles,” he said.

The standard charging capacity via cable is up to 250 kW. Solaris also offers pantograph charging as an option, though the manufacturer does not specify charging times in the technical data sheet. As with the 38 VDL electric buses already operating in the German city, LVB also intends to use pantograph charging for the new Solaris buses.

This comes as no surprise. Since 2022, the Lindenau depot has featured a “Bus-Port” with ten covered lanes and space for up to 50 charging points. Here, electric buses are charged overnight via a pantograph. In addition, recharging at termini during operation is possible. According to the LVZ, the charging infrastructure will also be expanded, although details are not yet available.

It will still take some time before the new Urbino 18 electric buses hit Leipzig’s streets. The first 15 vehicles are scheduled for delivery from November 2026, with the remaining 25 following from mid-2027. They will replace older diesel buses. While LVB’s fleet already includes 200 Solaris buses, these will be the first fully electric models from the Polish manufacturer.

LVB received the aforementioned €13.5 million in subsidies for the procurement. The funding comes from the Directive on the Promotion of Buses in Public Transport (RL Bus) of the Saxon State Ministry for Economy, Labour and Transport. The total cost of the e-buses is around €33 million, meaning the transport authority will finance just under €20 million itself.

lvz.de (paywall; in German)

This article was first published by Daniel Bönnighausen for electrive’s German edition.