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Next Tuesday in Kielce marks the beginning of the  International Fair of Public Transport TRANSEXPO.  Volvo Poland will present two innovative   city ​​buses. The first is Volvo 7900 Electric Hybrid hybrid plug-in bus. This is the first vehicle of this type in Poland. It is about to be put into regular service in Inowrocław. In the coming days Volvo will deliver four of the eight buses ordered in this city.

The electric-hybrid plug-in type buses are different from traditional hybrids. On most routes these are solely electric-powered  - a small combustion engine only offers an auxiliary function. Such a  bus  can cover about 70 percent of the route in electric mode. It of course depends on the conditions. Batteries are recharges place at the termination stops and lasts only three to six minutes - after such a short time the bus can go on.  Electric hybrids can also be charged with the use of the plug-in function - for example in a depot.  Vehicles of this type consume 60 percent less fuel compared to diesel buses, and carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by as much as 75 to 90 percent.

The   electric hybrids  make it is also possible to program  when the  bus  uses electric drive and when the combustion engine.  The system allows you to calculate the energy demand accurately on a given route. Just upload the algorithm to the computer that controls the drive unit operation - this will automatically read the GPS data and switch the drive from combustion engine to electric motor. This is used in low- or zero-emission zones - e.g. in the vicinity of schools, hospitals, housing estates or city centres.

- From the perspective of cities, this solution seems to be very interesting, it offers a completely different design perspective.  It is possible to create zero-emission zones, free from fumes. The electric hybrid has the possibility to use electric drive in such zones. What's more - such a bus can have, for example a stop inside a shopping mall - where electric drive can  be used only. These are quiet and emission-free zones -  says Małgorzata Durda, director of Volvo Buses for Poland and the Baltic States.

Another new product is the  Volvo 7900 Hybrid bus -  a short version of 10.6 m. This has been in service in Krosno for a few days .(Volvo delivered 11 such vehicles to this city last week).

- The vehicle we will present in Kielce is 2 meters shorter than the standard Volvo 7900 Hybrid.  In this case, the proven hybrid drive technology combined with a small steering angle and high passenger capacity can be the optimal solution for many cities. In addition, our buses can offer the so-called safety zone, which allows to limit the maximum vehicle speed automatically after entering the previously determined zone.  The driver is informed the bus has entered such a zone, and the vehicle adjusts the speed to the required limit.  This feature is a great safety enhancement in sensitive areas, for example in the vicinity of schools, large bus stops or in city centres, says Małgorzata Durda.

Hybrid buses  are powered by electricity when starting and stopping. At low speeds these are completely emission-free electric-drive vehicles.  After reaching the speed of 15-20 km/h, they switch over to use a small diesel engine. Batteries are charged during braking and from the engine excess power, and the bus does not require additional charging infrastructure. Vehicles of this type consume from 30 to 40 percent less fuel and emit from 40 to 50 percent less exhaust gases compared to analogous diesel buses. They are also very quiet.

Both  bus  types were designed by Polish engineers and are produced at the Volvo factory in Wrocław. You will be able to see them on October 23-25 ​​at the Volvo expo stand - E-4 at the Kielce exhibition and congress centre.

The Volvo electric city buses operate in Poland’s cities such as Kraków, Sosnowiec, Inowrocław, Tarnowskie Góry, Jelenia Góra, Białystok, Krosno, Leszno and Warsaw. Volvo has so far delivered over 4,000 electrified buses for public transport operators worldwide.

(UK)