POZAN, Poland… Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation, a global leader in the development of hybrid power systems for commercial vehicles, and Solaris Bus & Coach announced today the commercial availability of the Solaris Urbino 12 hybrid city bus that utilizes Eaton’s innovative electric hybrid power system to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. The announcement took place during a ride-and-drive ceremony for journalists and guests at Solaris global headquarters.

“Commercialization of the Urbino 12 Hybrid is significant for Eaton because it represents expansion of our hybrid systems into the European city bus segment and shows Solaris’ commitment toward reducing its overall fuel consumption and emissions,” said Klaus Dehnert, director – Sales and Marketing, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for Eaton’s Vehicle Group. “With over 20 years of experience in developing hybrid systems for commercial vehicles and more than 48 million kilometers of service to date, our hybrid technology is proven, reliable and available.”

The Eaton diesel-electric drive system is already in use in more than 1,000 buses globally. Eaton worked with Solaris to specially design the system for buses with a length of up to twelve meters. The hybrid system combines a 6.7-litre Cummins diesel engine rated at 162 kilowatt (220 PS) with an electric motor that has a peak power output of 44 kilowatt. Eaton matches the system to an automated six-speed Eaton transmission and stores energy in four lithium-ion batteries that are mounted under the seats.

Additionally, the Solaris Urbino 12 Hybrid includes new start-stop technology that automatically switches off the diesel engine when the bus is stationary and turns it back on when power is needed. This system dramatically reduces emissions and noise, especially at bus stops.
 
Eaton offers the world’s most complete line-up of hybrid systems for commercial vehicle applications. Eaton hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric and two hybrid hydraulic power systems are available or in development on truck models including DAF, Freightliner, Ford,  International, Iveco, Kenworth, Mercedes-Benz and Peterbilt and on bus models from BCI, Foton, Heng Tong, JNP, King Long, Shen Long, Solaris Yutong and Zhongtong. Eaton hybrid power systems have accumulated more than 48 million kilometers of road-tested service around the world.

Companies such as FedEx, UPS, Coca-Cola Enterprises, PepsiCo and Wal-Mart are using delivery vehicles with Eaton hybrid systems. Delivery trucks with Eaton hybrid power are also in service at DHL, TNT, Royal Mail, and many service providers across Europe and Madrid Transit (EMT) and other city bus transit fleets in Europe and in Asia are using Eaton hybrid power in their fleets.

Eaton Corporation is a diversified power management company with 2009 sales of US$11.9 billion. Eaton is a global technology leader in electrical components and systems for power quality, distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulics and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use; and truck and automotive drivetrain and powertrain systems for performance, fuel economy and safety. Eaton has approximately 70,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com .

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