- Power
- 60–160 kW
- Price
- from PLN 92,250–164,256
In productionBattery electricArticulated
Independent heavy-vehicle dossier
Solaris Urbino 18 electric
Over 800 kWh and 600 km on the e-SORT 2 cycle — the articulated Urbino 18 went to Warsaw on a contract for 50 units.
Image 1 of 2
600 km
Range
105
Capacity
18,000 mm
Length
4
Doors
Solaris Urbino 18 electric
Buying decision
The EvCompass verdict
The key arguments drawn from the published data and the EvCompass editorial summary.
MZA Warsaw signed on 3 February 2025 for about 227.5 million złoty, which yields a real per-unit price — transparency that exists nowhere on the truck side. The 2023 generation moved to two 125 kW motors integrated in the drive axles and silicon-carbide power electronics. This is the Polish market's standard articulated electric bus.
Strengths
- A 50-unit contract with a public contract value.
Weaknesses
- The current over-800 kWh figure differs from the over-550 kWh in the 2023 sheet, so capacity depends on generation and order.
The full picture
Specifications
Manufacturer-published facts grouped by the decisions they inform, without raw source headings.
Battery and charging
- Gross battery
- 800 kWh
- On charging
- Depot plug-in socket above the first axle on the right side is the base solution and is what MZA Warszawa specified for its 2025 batch of 50. Roof pantograph (normal or inverted) is optional for opportunity charging; pantograph deployments typically use the Solaris High Power pack of about 145 kWh nominal charged at up to 500 kW.
Powertrain
- Powertrain
- Battery electric
- Continuous power
- 250 kW
- Axle configuration
- 6x2
Body and passengers
- Bus type
- Articulated
- Length
- 18,000 mm
- Capacity
- 105
- Seats
- 40
- Floor
- Low floor
- Doors
- 4
Market and year
- Model year from
- 2,014
- Markets
- EU, PL, DE, AT, ES, IT, BE, RO
- Production status
- In production
- Vehicle class
- M3
- Measurement basis
- manufacturer, e-SORT 2 cycle, with the maximum Solaris High Energy set of over 800 kWh. The 2023 technical sheet for the launch configuration quotes 'over 550 kWh'; the Warsaw 2025 batch is specified at over 700 kWh.
These are manufacturer-published figures gathered through EvCompass research.
Price and availability
What it costs and whether it is available in Poland
Published price evidence and the Polish availability answer, kept together for a buying decision.
The manufacturer publishes no price for this vehicle.
In heavy transport that is the rule rather than the exception — makers quote on request.
MZA Warszawa signed for 50 units on 3 Feb 2025; press reporting put the contract at about 227.55 million PLN, which would be roughly 4.55 million PLN per bus, but the source did not state whether that figure is net or gross and the manufacturer's own release omits it - so no unit price is recorded here. The tender was contested twice before the Krajowa Izba Odwolawcza (Irizar's bids were rejected on procedural grounds, then Irizar appealed the Solaris award), which is why several published values circulate.
Source: TransInfo / InfoBus - MZA Warszawa contract, February 2025Poland
Available in Poland
Built in Poland at Solaris Bolechowo-Osiedle near Poznan, and the standard articulated electric bus of the Polish market. MZA Warszawa is the largest single operator: a 3 Feb 2025 contract for 50 more Urbino 18 electric takes the Warsaw fleet to 224 Solaris electric buses. MPK Krakow, Lodz and Szczecin also run it.
Charging infrastructure
Recommended chargers
Chargers matched to the vehicle's published power or to a clearly stated duty profile when that figure is missing.
This vehicle does not publish its own DC charging power. The chargers below are matched to a charging profile typical for this class of vehicle (around 150 kW), not to a figure this vehicle publishes.
- Power
- 50–150 kW
- Price
- PLN 191,959.95
- Power
- 160–180 kW
- Price
- from PLN 175,942–187,057
Sources and research
Research notes
The sources and research notes behind the figures, claims and editorial assessment.
The 2023 generation moved to a modular driveline: two 125 kW traction motors integrated in the two rear (drive) axles, SiC power electronics, 2-2-2-2 doors, 40+2 seats, 105 passengers, GVW 29,000 kg per the manufacturer's own technical sheet. Earlier generations used a single central motor or a 240 kW asynchronous motor. Battery has stepped from 553 kWh (2019 launch) to 'over 550 kWh' (2023 sheet) to 'over 800 kWh' maximum on the current page; the Warsaw 2025 batch is over 700 kWh. Wheelbase is quoted as 5,900 mm / 6,000 mm.
Data confidence
HIGH
Sources
- https://www.solarisbus.com/public/assets/Biuro_prasowe/2023_03_27_Elekbu2023/Technical_details_Solaris_Urbino_18_electric.pdf
- https://www.solarisbus.com/en/urbino-18-electric
- https://transinfo.pl/infobus/solaris-ma-umowe-na-50-nowych-autobusow-elektrycznych-dla-mza-warszawa-razem-213-elektrobusow/
- https://www.sustainable-bus.com/news/new-design-driveline-architecture-safety-solaris-urbino-18/