{"id":618,"date":"2026-07-17T12:09:06","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T10:09:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/?p=618"},"modified":"2026-07-17T12:14:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T10:14:35","slug":"one-bus-for-two-continents-why-a-completely-new-solaris-urbino-is-being-developed-for-the-american-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/2026\/07\/17\/one-bus-for-two-continents-why-a-completely-new-solaris-urbino-is-being-developed-for-the-american-market\/","title":{"rendered":"One bus for two continents \u2013 why a completely new Solaris Urbino is being developed for the American market"},"content":{"rendered":"

In October, Solaris will reach a major milestone with the unveiling of the first electric bus in the company\u2019s history developed specifically for the needs of the North American market. Although at first glance it may seem that reworking the Urbino model family designed for the European market would have been enough, the reality is far more complex. North America\u2019s technical regulations, operating practices and the expectations of local customers differ significantly from those in Europe, so the development of the new type is not based on a simple adaptation of existing models, but on Solaris\u2019 decades of engineering and manufacturing experience. The market environment could hardly be more favourable for the Polish manufacturer: while the North American market is extremely difficult to enter, the already relatively small field of competitors has thinned out in recent years, while New Flyer, one of the market\u2019s dominant players, has such a large order backlog that its production capacity is tied up for a long time to come.<\/strong><\/p>\n

By winning the Vancouver trolleybus tender<\/a>, Solaris has already taken its first practical step towards conquering the North American market, but the large-scale Canadian project does not yet mean entry into the United States market as well. If the manufacturer wants to establish a presence in the US \u2013 and this is indeed the plan even in the short term, primarily in the urban electric bus segment \u2013 it will have to significantly modify its electric product family, which has been successful in Europe, in order to meet overseas technical, regulatory and market expectations. One of the main reasons for this is that, in the United States, vehicle procurements by municipal or state-owned transport agencies are subject to the provisions of the Buy America Act, which require a specified proportion of domestic content (currently at least 70%) and local assembly. In Canada, by contrast, there is no comparable, nationwide uniform regulation, so the trolleybuses being built for Vancouver<\/a> do not have to be assembled locally, nor are the vehicles themselves subject to localization requirements similar to those in the US. As a result, the Canadian introduction of the Trollino series requires significantly less technical and production-organization adaptation than battery-electric buses developed specifically for the United States market.<\/p>\n

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Rendering of Solaris\u2019 new 40-foot electric bus developed for the North American market; the production version is expected to differ from the design shown here only in minor details<\/p><\/div>\n

Entering the United States market was not easy even in the 1980s, as the example of Ikarus clearly illustrates. At that time, publicly funded procurements \u201conly\u201d required 50% US content (a threshold that was later steadily increased), so with the right partners it was not yet absolutely essential for vehicles to be manufactured or assembled entirely overseas. Even so, the level of local added value was already considerable: the Ikarus 286 buses intended for the North American market<\/a> were fitted, among other things, with Rockwell axles, Allison automatic transmissions, Cummins diesel engines, Sheppard steering gears and steering wheels, Donaldson air filters and exhaust brakes, and Westinghouse braking systems \u2013 meaning that, in practice, only the bodywork of the vehicles was made in Hungary.<\/p>\n

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Eight Ikarus 286 buses were built for Honolulu\u2019s TheBus in 1984; the small batch was unusual in that the buses were completed entirely in Hungary and never visited the California plant of Ikarus\u2019 American partner, Crown Coach<\/p><\/div>\n

The regulations in force at the time did, however, allow deviations in certain cases \u2013 for example for prototypes, pre-series vehicles or individual exemptions \u2013 which is why the first Ikarus 286s were built entirely in Hungary, as were the units manufactured for Hawaii. Requirements tightened further from 1991, when the minimum prescribed US content rose to 60%. Accordingly, the Ikarus 400 series built in the United States used an even higher proportion of major assemblies and components sourced from American suppliers than before. NABI buses were later built according to similar principles.<\/p>\n

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The frame and bodywork of NABI buses were manufactured in Hungary, but final assembly of the vehicles took place at the company\u2019s plant in Anniston, Alabama<\/p><\/div>\n

By now, Buy America requirements have tightened to the point where at least 70% of the value of the components incorporated into a vehicle must be of US origin, while the entire production process for the steel and iron used \u2013 from melting all the way to the final surface treatments \u2013 must take place in the United States. The regulation also requires final assembly to be carried out in the United States. This also means that if NABI were still operating today, the concept based on frame production in Hungary would no longer be feasible under the current Buy America rules. Even today, deviations from the requirements are possible only in exceptional cases. A waiver may be granted only if there is no suitable US manufacturer for the given product, if it is justified by an overriding public interest, or if using a US-made product would increase the project cost by more than 25%. As a consequence, for manufacturers wishing to maintain a long-term presence in the American bus market \u2013 especially in its urban segment and particularly in tenders supported by the federal transport authority, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) \u2013 local assembly, the establishment of an extensive US supplier network and ensuring the domestic value-added share required by Buy America are practically unavoidable.<\/p>\n

For the time being, however, Solaris is in a more favourable position, as the first electric bus batches being built for Seattle<\/a> and San Francisco<\/a> are not yet subject to these requirements, so they can be manufactured in Poland. If, however, the manufacturer wants to secure further business in the US after these initial orders \u2013 which is obviously the goal \u2013 local assembly will sooner or later become unavoidable for Solaris as well<\/a>. The already operating plant of parent company CAF in Elmira, New York, could provide a major advantage in this respect; it currently assembles rail vehicles. The existing infrastructure could provide a suitable basis for Solaris to comply with Buy America requirements in the future through American assembly.<\/p>\n

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Complying with Buy America requirements alone, however, is not enough to enter the US market. The bus type intended for introduction must also comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), the mandatory vehicle safety regulations of the United States. The rulebook, which runs to nearly a thousand pages, does not merely define the safety level a bus must achieve; in many cases it also regulates test methods and technical design in detail. Although the FMVSS often cover the same areas as the UN ECE regulations applied in Europe, the technical requirements, test procedures and approval system differ in many respects. As a result, a bus homologated under UN ECE rules cannot automatically be regarded as FMVSS-compliant \u2013 far from it \u2013 so numerous structural and safety elements of the version intended for the US market must be redesigned and then certified again in accordance with American regulations.<\/p>\n

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The regulations cover, for example, the braking system, defining braking performance under different load conditions and the safety reserves expected in the event of a failure. Lighting and light-signalling equipment is regulated in similar detail: the rules prescribe not only what lamps the vehicle must have, but also their exact positioning, their distances from the edges of the vehicle and from one another, permitted colours, visibility angles, and the light intensity required in different directions. The standard uses photometric tests, meaning that lamp performance is assessed not on the quantity of light emitted (lumens), but on the luminous intensity (candela) measured at specific measuring points and angles. For this reason, an LED light unit approved in Europe does not automatically comply with FMVSS 108 even if its total luminous flux is similar, because the US standard also regulates light distribution in detail. In the case of rear lamps, the shape is not specified \u2013 they may be round, rectangular or of another design \u2013 but the minimum illuminated area, visibility requirements and photometric performance must be met. This is one reason why American buses \u2013 such as those from New Flyer, Gillig or Nova Bus \u2013 often have larger and more robust rear lamp units than many European models. Not because the standard specifically mandates this, but because it makes it easier to meet the visibility and photometric requirements of FMVSS 108.<\/p>\n

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The rear-view rendering of Solaris\u2019 new bus developed for the North American market already clearly shows the large rear light units conforming to American standards, as well as the rear design without a rear window that is typical of North American buses<\/p><\/div>\n

In addition, FMVSS requirements also address the driver\u2019s direct and indirect field of vision, safety glazing, and the structural requirements for doors and seats. The windscreen and side windows must have specified fracture properties, impact resistance and light transmission, so not every glazing product approved in Europe automatically meets US requirements. Door locks and door-retention structures must withstand specified loads, while they must not open unintentionally in the event of a collision. In the case of seats, not only their design but also the strength of their mounting points is checked through static load tests.<\/p>\n

For buses, a separate FMVSS regulation applies to emergency exits, specifying in detail their minimum number, size, location, operation and marking, and requiring that passengers be able to leave the vehicle quickly and safely in the event of an accident. Rollover safety requirements also demand that, in the event of a rollover, a defined survival space remain in the passenger compartment \u2013 in other words, that deformation of the roof structure and side walls must not endanger passengers\u2019 lives. These requirements are, of course, also present for buses sold on the European market, but the specific target values and compliance criteria may differ.<\/p>\n

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A full-length low-floor layout is virtually unknown in the North American market; in urban buses, a low-entry layout is more typical<\/p><\/div>\n

For electric buses, particular emphasis is placed on the safety of the high-voltage drive system. Under the regulations, no life-threatening voltage may remain on accessible parts of the vehicle after a collision; any leakage of battery electrolyte must be limited; and the risk of electric shock must be prevented. For interior trim materials, strict flammability tests are prescribed to ensure that, in the event of a fire, flame spread is as slow as possible, giving passengers more time to evacuate safely.<\/p>\n

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On North American low-floor buses, the wheelchair ramp is typically installed at the front door in accordance with ADA requirements, ensuring barrier-free boarding and alighting<\/p><\/div>\n

Meeting the technical and economic requirements of FMVSS and Buy America is still not enough for a bus type to participate in public procurements financed from federal or state funds in the United States. The vehicle must also comply with the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Although the legislation does not expressly require a low-floor design, in practice this is the most practical and widespread solution for urban buses to meet accessibility requirements. The regulation defines in detail the minimum dimensions and load capacity of the wheelchair ramp or lift, the design of wheelchair securement systems, the minimum dimensions of aisles and turning spaces, the placement of handrails, the accessibility of controls, and the requirements for visual and audible passenger information systems needed by passengers with mobility, visual and hearing impairments. The aim is for every passenger to be able to use the vehicle independently and safely.<\/p>\n

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The top-view passenger-compartment layout of New Flyer\u2019s 40-foot bus clearly illustrates the design typical of the North American market<\/p><\/div>\n

These are supplemented by FTA requirements, which apply to bus procurements carried out with federal funding. One of their most important elements is the so-called Altoona Bus Testing Program, under which every new bus type must undergo comprehensive testing before it can participate in FTA-funded tenders. During the tests carried out at Penn State University\u2019s Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center, the vehicle\u2019s structural durability and reliability are examined over test runs of several thousand kilometres, while the operation of the braking system, acceleration performance, steering behaviour, noise and vibration levels, energy consumption, maintainability and numerous other operating characteristics are also checked. The tests are extremely strict, as their purpose is to verify that the vehicle can be operated reliably and economically throughout its entire service life. There has already been more than one bus type that failed its first Altoona test because of structural failure or even serious frame damage, forcing manufacturers to modify the design before submitting it for testing again.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/NABI_artic_upscaled.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

..<\/span><\/p>\n

FTA requirements also cover passenger information. On American city buses, automatic audible and visual stop announcements are mandatory; these serve not only passenger convenience, but also, in line with ADA requirements, ensure barrier-free travel for visually and hearing-impaired passengers.<\/p>\n

Although many people assume that the use of the large energy-absorbing bumpers typical of North American buses is mandated by some federal vehicle safety regulation, this is not actually the case. They are not generally required by FMVSS; rather, they have become an almost universal feature of American city buses primarily because of the bus procurement guidelines of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) \u2013 the professional organization bringing together public transport operators, manufacturers and suppliers in the United States \u2013 and the operator tender requirements based on them. The APTA Standard Bus Procurement Guidelines are a model technical document on which many transport agencies rely when preparing their own requests for proposals, so the requirements contained in them have in practice become strong market expectations (in this respect they are comparable to the German VDV recommendations). For this reason, most North American bus manufacturers already offer their vehicles with this design as standard.<\/p>\n

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The purpose of the energy-absorbing bumper is to prevent damage to the vehicle\u2019s expensive load-bearing frame structure in low-speed collisions. According to APTA recommendations, the system must withstand a frontal impact with a rigid obstacle at a speed of at least 5 mph (8 km\/h) in such a way that the bumper absorbs the impact energy while the vehicle\u2019s main structural elements remain undamaged. In addition, if operating properly, the system must return to its original shape within 10 minutes after the impact, and it must also protect the front and rear structures in low-speed corner impacts. The energy-absorbing elements positioned behind the bumper absorb impact energy through controlled deformation, so after a minor rear-end collision or depot scrape it is often sufficient to replace the bumper or the energy-absorbing units, with no need to repair the frame structure. This is particularly important in the North American operating environment, where city buses operate daily in crowded terminals, tight depots and dense downtown traffic, where low-speed knocks are not uncommon. The energy-absorbing bumper therefore does not primarily provide additional protection in severe accidents, but significantly reduces repair costs and vehicle downtime.<\/p>\n

The situation is similar when it comes to vehicle dimensions. Although many people also regard the 102-inch (2,591 mm) width as a mandatory US requirement, federal regulations in fact merely state that this is the maximum permitted width for vehicles operating on the National Network road system. Vehicle length, by contrast, is regulated primarily by the individual states; nevertheless, in the United States the 40-foot (12.19-metre) rigid bus and the 60-foot (18.29-metre) articulated bus have by now effectively become industry standards. These dimensions are not prescribed by a single piece of legislation, but have been shaped by the American road network, stop layouts, terminals, garage designs and operating practices established over decades.<\/p>\n

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New Flyer\u2019s 40-foot (12.2-metre) Xcelsior, from the company that acquired NABI, is today one of the defining rigid models in the North American city bus market<\/p><\/div>\n

The reasons are primarily operational. The greater width allows for a more spacious passenger compartment, a wider aisle and more comfortable seating, which is especially important on busy American urban networks. As early as the 1970s, advocates of 102-inch-wide buses argued that the wider body improved passenger exchange, increased standing comfort and allowed faster passenger flow. The greater width alone, however, does not explain the characteristic proportions of American buses. The wheelbase of typical 40-foot city buses is generally longer than that of most European 12-metre buses. This reduces the front and especially the rear overhang, improves ride stability, and reduces what is known in English technical jargon as tail swing (although the turning circle diameter may increase for the same vehicle length).<\/p>\n

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The 60-foot articulated version of the New Flyer Xcelsior is currently still unrivalled in its category on the US market. The type is also available in a 35-foot \u201clarge midi\u201d version<\/p><\/div>\n

For Solaris, this means that although no law obliges it to use a 102-inch-wide body, a narrower, European-sized bus could put it at a competitive disadvantage in the American market. The greater width and different proportions, however, no longer amount to a simple change in dimensions: the entire frame structure, the wheelbase, the positioning of the running gear, the design of the side walls, floor and roof structure, and the passenger-compartment layout all have to be modified. This clearly shows that the Solaris being developed for the American market will not simply be a \u201cwidened\u201d Urbino, but a fundamentally redesigned vehicle. Nor do the differences stop at dimensions: on North American city buses, the air-conditioning unit is typically located above the engine compartment, which also requires the roof structure, rear overhang and weight distribution to be redesigned.<\/p>\n

A significant difference can also be seen in the design of the side glazing. Whereas in Europe bonded, visually continuous side windows have become almost universal, on the other side of the Atlantic traditional framed side windows still dominate city buses even today. The framed design also makes it easier to equip side windows serving as emergency exits with hinged opening mechanisms. Because of the different window system, Solaris has had to adapt the side frame, window and door frames, and several exterior body panels to American operating requirements.<\/p>\n

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In North America, a low-entry passenger-compartment layout is now the norm in the urban segment, so Solaris\u2019 overseas-market model will also use this configuration<\/p><\/div>\n

Meeting the basic requirements outlined above is, of course, not enough in itself for a new manufacturer to establish a lasting foothold in the American market. An appropriate local service and spare-parts supply background, as well as after-sales support, are at least as important. A bus may remain in daily service for well over a decade, so the manufacturer must also prove that it can provide the necessary parts, software updates, training and technical support throughout the entire operating period. This is especially important for electric buses, where maintenance of the high-voltage system, batteries, charging infrastructure and vehicle-control software requires specialist expertise. North American transport agencies are not merely buying a vehicle; they also expect long-term operational security: fast parts supply, locally available technical support, properly trained service personnel, diagnostic backing, warranty handling and predictable repair lead times \u2013 expectations to which they are often quite willing to add extra weight through their lawyers as well.<\/p>\n

For Solaris, entering the American market therefore cannot end with developing and certifying a vehicle family tailored to local needs. The manufacturer must also build local parts warehouses, service capacity and an after-sales organization capable of supporting operators with short response times. Without this, even a technically suitable and competitive bus could find itself at a disadvantage against New Flyer, Gillig or other North American manufacturers with an already established local support background.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In October, Solaris will reach a major milestone with the unveiling of the first electric bus in the company\u2019s history developed specifically for the needs of the North American market. Although at first glance it may seem that reworking the Urbino model family designed for the European market would have been enough, the reality is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,6],"tags":[372,293,87,170,175],"class_list":["post-618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abroad","category-news","tag-north-america","tag-regulation","tag-solaris","tag-united-states","tag-usa"],"acf":{"mbi_related_box_multiple":"","mbi_gallery_enabled":false,"mbi_gallery_manual_order":"Kompakt","mbi_gallery_source":"Ehhez a cikkhez felt\u00f6lt\u00f6tt k\u00e9pek","mbi_gallery_images":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=618"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/618\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":622,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/618\/revisions\/622"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magyarbusz.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}