Based in Poland and part of the Spanish CAF Group, Solaris was in 2021 the leading electric bus manufacturer in Europe with 11,9 % of the market share.
To reinforce its leading position, the European bus manufacturer signed a partnership agreement with the giant Chinese battery maker CATL, to use its cobalt-free battery chemistry LFP (LiFePO4) and CTP (cell-to-pack) technology.
Nonetheless, unfortunately diesel still has a huge market share in Europe.
Fuel types of new buses in Europe (2021):
- Diesel: 68,8 %
- Electric: 10,6 %
- Alternative fuels: 10,5 %
- Hybrid: 10,1 %
Now, with cheap cobalt-free battery chemistries available, such as LFP (LiFePO4) and NIB (sodium-ion battery) there’s no reason why we still allow diesel buses to pollute the air that we all breathe.
Moreover, buses that are electric not only have regenerative braking, which make them perfect for city driving, they can also have huge solar panels on their roofs.
More info:
https://www.sustainable-bus.com/news/eu-electric-bus-market-2021/
