Polish-built, battery-powered bus tested

A lady passenger got a surprise when she boarded a bus at Postplatz in the city on Tuesday. While she had her ticket ready for validation, she could not find the machine. Fortunately, an ZVB employee was there to explain. “It is all right, madam; this bus is being used for test purposes. Enjoy this trip on us,” he said.
 
These battery-powered Urbino 12 buses are built by the Polish Solaris company of Bolechowo near Poznan and are being tested until the beginning of next week on the number 13 route between Zug station and Zug Obersack. Both the ZVB and the “vbl” transport company in Lucerne want to find out if the use of such buses on their networks would be viable.
 
These Urbino buses come with seating for 34 and standing room for a further 41 passengers; what is more, with its low floor, it can also accommodate passengers in wheelchairs.
 
As is expected with battery-driven buses, they are very quiet. On this trip the driver just mentioned how its steering took a bit of getting used to, and going downhill they needed no energy, of course, in fact the batteries can be charged during such stretches.
 
As for how long the batteries can last without needing to return to the re-charging station at the ZVB depot, the bus can be driven over a period of six hours, i.e. two uphill and two downhill valley trips while still leaving the batteries with one quarter of their power. What is of note is the weight of the batteries, at three tonnes, one sixth of the weight the entire vehicle.
 
At a press conference held in Lucerne earlier this month, on the occasion of these Urbino buses being tested there, Cyrill Weber, the senior manager at ZVB, said that he was sure transport using this type of technology was the way forward. Indeed, in cooperation with the Wasserwerke Zug utility company, ZVB had launched the Electro-mobility Association, providing the opportunity for all involved in this area in Zug to exchange ideas. “We want to explain all about the advantages of electro-mobility to locals and it is with such buses that they will be able to experience it,” he said.
 
After this initial test phase, this particular bus is to be returned to Lucerne, further trials to take place in Zug in summer.
 
Out of interest, Urbino 12 buses are also in service in Warsaw, in addition to a number of German cities including Berlin, Brunswick, Düsseldorf, Dresden, Hanover, Hamburg and Oberhausen.