The Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe (LVB) GmbH in the German city of Leipzig, has ordred 40 Urbino 18 articulated electric buses from Solaris. The first vehicles will arrive in Leipzig in the second half of 2026. Each Urbino 18 electric will be fitted with Solaris High Energy batteries offering a usable capacity of over 570 kWh. The vehicles can be charged both at the depot via plug-in and through a pantograph.
Leipzig is one of Germany’s fastest-growing cities and needs to expand the bus fleet. Each bus will carry up to 120 passengers. Two of the buses will occasionally be used for driver training. The first 15 vehicles will be delivered in the second half of 2026, and the remaining 25 in mid-2027. The contract also covers the installation of advanced safety and comfort systems. The buses will be equipped with an advanced driver assistance system, monitoring the area in front of the vehicle and on its right-hand monitoring the area
in front of the vehicle and on its right-hand side, as well as a speed assistant. In addition, the vehicles will include a solution that monitors driver concentration and fatigue levels. The operator has also opted for an automatic passenger counting system with sensors at all doors. They will also feature the eSConnect fleet management system, including remote activation of the preconditioning function while the bus is charging. To date, Solaris has supplied more than 200 buses to the LVB fleet.