This past summer, the Solaris Trollino 12 trolleybus was test-driving on the streets of Vancouver, Canada. The presentation of the vehicle overseas is one element of the plan to enter North American markets with its bus offering, in line with the CAF Group and Solaris’ strategy announced at the end of 2022.

This is the first time in Solaris’ history that a vehicle from the brand has visited North America. In Vancouver, Canada, a Solaris Trollino 12 trolleybus was tested in regular city traffic for several weeks.

Equipped with additional batteries, the vehicle was able to run both on electric power from the trolleybus traction and outside the Vancouver area, where there is no catenary network. The tests were an opportunity for North American operators to familiarise themselves with the Solaris product.

According to the company’s press release, the presentation also gave the manufacturer the opportunity to gather valuable comments and information from the use of the vehicle in a slightly different public transport environment to Europe. The initiative was also received with enthusiasm by the local community and trolleybus enthusiasts, who did not miss the opportunity to ‘follow’ the new vehicle during testing.

Vancouver’s current trolleybus fleet consists of 262 vehicles that were delivered to the metropolis between 2006 and 2009, and the operator intends to renew its fleet by the end of this decade.

The presentation of the Trollino in Vancouver is another step in Solaris’ strategy to enter the USA and Canada with its offerings. The manufacturer is considering offering exclusively zero-emission vehicles, i.e. battery, hydrogen and trolley buses, in these markets in the coming years.

Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o. is one of the European leaders in bus and trolleybus production. The company’s vehicles have been repeatedly awarded for their quality and innovation both in Poland and in other European Union countries. The Urbino 12 electric bus won the prestigious European “Bus of The Year 2017” competition. In September 2018, Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o. joined the CAF group.

Adrian Andrzejewski