Solaris Bus & Coach
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersOwinska, Poland
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Solaris Bus & Coach firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Solaris Bus & Coach
- Legal name
- Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o.
- Website
- https://www.solarisbus.com/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Solaris Bus & Coach industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Bus Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (33699), Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing (33632)
- SIC
- Truck & Bus Bodies (3713), Miscellaneous Transportation Equipment (3790)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electric Bus (Battery-Electric) Manufacturing (IMACADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Fuel Cell (Hydrogen) Bus Manufacturing (IMACADAF)
Keywords
Where Solaris Bus & Coach is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Owinska
- HQ country
- Poland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices10 records
Markets served
Solaris Bus & Coach business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Bus and Trolleybus Sales: Sale of city and intercity buses including electric, hydrogen, trolleybus, CNG, mild hybrid, and conventional drivetrain variants. Vehicles are produced in Poland from concept to manufacturing and sold to public transport operators across Europe and beyond.
- After-Sales Service and Maintenance: Comprehensive service including computer diagnostics, scheduled maintenance, repairs, and 24/7 emergency support through Central Service Workshop and authorized service partners across Europe
- Spare Parts: Sale of original spare parts and components for Solaris vehicles through service network
- Zero-Emission Vehicle Retrofit: Post-warranty battery replacement and modernization service for existing electric bus fleets, including old battery collection and disposal
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Solaris Bus & Coach product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Solaris Bus & Coach designs and manufactures city and intercity buses (Urbino brand) and trolleybuses (Trollino brand) from facilities in Poland, offering zero-emission variants (battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and IMC trolleybuses), low-emission variants (CNG and mild hybrid), and conventional diesel drivetrains. The portfolio covers lengths from 9m to 24m and is complemented by the eSConnect fleet management platform, the Zero-Emission Vehicle Retrofit service, the Central Service Workshop, spare parts, and North America-specific electric bus models. All vehicles are designed, engineered, and produced in Poland under the CAF Group umbrella.
Product overview
Solaris Bus & Coach is a leading European bus manufacturer producing a comprehensive portfolio of city and intercity buses under the Urbino brand, trolleybuses under the Trollino brand, and special vehicles. The product lineup spans zero-emission solutions (battery-electric Urbino electric, hydrogen-powered Urbino hydrogen, and trolleybuses with IMC capability), low-emission options (CNG and mild hybrid), and conventional diesel drives. The portfolio covers lengths from 9m to 24m (bi-articulated), serving urban, intercity, and special purpose applications. Solaris also offers North America-specific electric bus models and supplementary services including fleet monitoring (eSConnect), advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and zero-emission vehicle retrofit. The company, part of the Spanish CAF Group, manufactures all vehicles in Poland.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Urbino Electric Battery-electric city bus available in multiple lengths (9m, 10.5m, 12m, 15m LE, and 18m articulated) offering zero-emission urban transportation with a modular drive system and advanced thermal management for public transport operators.
- Urbino Hydrogen Hydrogen fuel cell electric bus producing zero tailpipe emissions (water only). The Urbino 18 hydrogen won Bus of the Year 2025 and can travel up to 600 km on a single tank. Available in 12m and 18m articulated variants for public transport operators.
- Trollino Electric trolleybus operating on overhead wire infrastructure with additional battery capability for In-Motion Charging (IMC), allowing off-wire operation up to 100 km for public transport operators.
- Urbino CNG Compressed natural gas city bus representing a low-emission alternative to conventional diesel propulsion for public transport operators.
- Urbino Mild Hybrid Hybrid electric bus with a mild hybrid system supporting reduced fuel consumption and emissions compared to conventional drives for public transport operators.
- Urbino (Conventional) Conventional diesel-powered city bus available in standard and articulated configurations (12m, 18m) for public transport operators.
- Special Vehicles Customized special-purpose buses built to specific operational requirements for public transport operators and other fleet customers.
- North America Electric Bus Electric bus platform specifically designed for North American operators, developed for the U.S. market with 40-foot and articulated configurations meeting local technical and regulatory requirements.
- eSConnect System Proprietary fleet monitoring and management system enabling remote diagnostics, service capability improvement, and analysis of specialized data collected by Solaris vehicles for public transport operators.
- Zero-Emission Vehicle Retrofit Service Post-warranty battery replacement service upgrading older Solaris electric buses with cutting-edge batteries (LFP, NMC, or LTO technologies), including BTMS and BMS updates, supporting operators in maximizing e-mobility investments.
- Central Service Workshop Professional diagnostic and repair service for Solaris vehicles with 24/7 emergency support, mobile repair crews, and authorized service supported by component suppliers including Cummins, DAF, Konvekta, and others.
- Generation 2 FCEV Hydrogen Bus Platform Next-generation hydrogen fuel cell bus platform integrating Ballard's FCmove-SC engine with higher efficiency, extended durability, and simplified architecture designed to reduce total cost of ownership for public transport operators.
Quantifiable outcome
- Solaris hydrogen buses can travel up to 600km on a single tank
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Solaris Bus & Coach
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Solaris Bus & Coach technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Solaris Bus & Coach partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ballard Power SystemscoreBallard Power Systems is the exclusive fuel cell supplier for Solaris's next-generation hydrogen bus platform. The agreement extends the Long-Term Service Agreement through 2029 with adjusted commercial terms. Ballard's FCmove®-SC engine offers higher efficiency, extended durability, and simplified architecture to reduce total cost of ownership. Ballard-powered fleets exceed 2,200 fuel cell buses worldwide with over 300 million kilometers logged at 98% availability.
- CAF Group (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles) S.A.coreSpanish CAF Group acquired Solaris in 2018, enabling dynamic expansion into global markets. CAF has been present in the United States as a supplier of rail vehicles (Boston, Houston, Kansas City, Cincinnati) and is extending its portfolio with Solaris zero-emission city buses. CAF's Elmira Heights, New York facility is planned as Solaris's future U.S. production base.
- Van Tilburg-Bastianen Groep (TB)minorTB Group serves as Solaris's service partner in the Netherlands, providing authorized service and maintenance for Solaris vehicles operating in the Dutch market.
- ResearchAndMarkets.comminorSolaris is identified as a major player in ResearchAndMarkets.com's global electric bus market reports, providing market intelligence and analyst validation of company position.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Solaris Bus & Coach competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Scania: Scania's Citywide BEV and hybrid buses compete with Solaris in Scandinavian and broader European tenders. Scania benefits from the Traton Group's powertrain scale and is a meaningful alternative for fleet operators considering the Urbino line.
- BYD Auto Industry: Chinese EV and bus manufacturer that has aggressively entered the European zero-emission bus market, winning significant municipal contracts (e.g., in the Netherlands, UK, and Scandinavia). BYD is the most direct cost-disruptive competitor to Solaris in European BEV tenders.
- New Flyer (NFI Group): North America's largest transit bus manufacturer (Xcelsior CHARGE BEV and hydrogen fuel cell models) and Solaris's primary incumbent competitor in the U.S. and Canadian zero-emission transit market. Direct overlap in product type, customer segment (transit agencies), and federal funding-driven procurement.
- Yutong Bus: Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturer with a growing European presence in electric city buses. Yutong competes with Solaris on price and offers comparable full-electric city bus models, increasingly visible in EU municipal RFPs.
- VDL Bus & Coach: Dutch bus and coach manufacturer with a comparable European zero-emission city bus portfolio (Citea electric and hydrogen variants). VDL competes head-to-head with Solaris for the same municipal tenders across Northern and Western Europe, offering similar lengths and battery/fuel cell configurations.
- Daimler Truck / Mercedes-Benz eCitaro: Mercedes-Benz's eCitaro is a flagship European battery-electric city bus competing directly with the Urbino electric across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and other EU markets. Same customer base of municipal transit operators, same product positioning, similar 12m and articulated length offerings.
- MAN Truck & Bus: Germany-based Lion's City E is a direct competitor to the Urbino electric in European zero-emission tenders. MAN leverages the broader Traton Group platform and competes aggressively on total cost of ownership in the same municipal RFPs Solaris targets.
- Volvo Buses: Swedish OEM offering the Volvo 7900 Electric and 7900 Electric Articulated, directly competing with Solaris in Northern Europe, the UK, and select global markets. Similar B2G sales motion targeting public transit operators, with comparable BEV and (historically) hybrid drivetrain portfolios.
- Iveco Bus: Italian bus OEM (part of Iveco Group) with a comparable European city bus portfolio including the GX Electric (Heuliez) battery-electric platform. Iveco Bus competes in the same Mediterranean and broader EU tenders as Solaris, including intercity and BRT applications.
Regional players
- Wrightbus: UK and Ireland-based bus manufacturer with a growing zero-emission portfolio (StreetDeck Hydroliner FCEV, GB Kite Hydroliner BEV). Wrightbus is comparable in technology and product mix but primarily serves UK/Irish markets, making it a regional rather than pan-European competitor to Solaris.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Solaris Bus & Coach social profiles
Digital presenceSolaris Bus & Coach financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Solaris Bus & Coach leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Solaris Bus & Coach subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Solaris Bus & Coach funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Solaris Bus & Coach M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Solaris Bus & Coach
What does Solaris Bus & Coach do?
Solaris Bus & Coach designs and manufactures city and intercity buses (Urbino brand) and trolleybuses (Trollino brand) from facilities in Poland, offering zero-emission variants (battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and IMC trolleybuses), low-emission variants (CNG and mild hybrid), and conventional diesel drivetrains. The portfolio covers lengths from 9m to 24m and is complemented by the eSConnect fleet management platform, the Zero-Emission Vehicle Retrofit service, the Central Service Workshop, spare parts, and North America-specific electric bus models. All vehicles are designed, engineered, and produced in Poland under the CAF Group umbrella.
Is Solaris Bus & Coach a public or private company?
Solaris Bus & Coach is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Solaris Bus & Coach founded?
Solaris Bus & Coach was founded in 1996. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Solaris Bus & Coach based?
Solaris Bus & Coach is headquartered in Owinska, Poland, in the Europe region.
How does Solaris Bus & Coach make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Bus and Trolleybus Sales are the primary driver. The others are after-Sales Service and Maintenance, spare Parts and zero-Emission Vehicle Retrofit.
Who are Solaris Bus & Coach's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Scania, BYD Auto Industry, New Flyer (NFI Group), Yutong Bus, VDL Bus & Coach, Daimler Truck / Mercedes-Benz eCitaro, MAN Truck & Bus, Volvo Buses and Iveco Bus. Wrightbus is listed as a regional player.
Does Solaris Bus & Coach have an API?
No public API is recorded for Solaris Bus & Coach.
What industry is Solaris Bus & Coach in?
Solaris Bus & Coach's product category is Commercial Bus Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMACADAE, Electric Bus (Battery-Electric) Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMACADAF, Fuel Cell (Hydrogen) Bus Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 33699 and its SIC code is 3713.