SOLARIS BOLDLY

CAF has been present in the United States for years as a supplier of rail vehicles. The manufacturer’s trams and light rail vehicles already operate in cities including Boston, Houston, Kansas City and Cincinnati. Now, the group is extending its portfolio with Solaris zero-emission city buses.

With over 30 years in the mobility sector and extensive executive experience in the U.S. market, Félix Fernández serves as CEO of CAF USA and President of Solaris North America, leading the Group’s integrated strategy in the region. As Félix Fernández emphasizes, the American market will be one of the key growth directions for the entire group in the coming years.

Solaris is expected to play an important role in delivering this strategy. The brand brings to the group more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing urban and intercity buses, along with technologies developed and proven on the European market.

To date, Solaris has delivered more than 28,000 vehicles to nearly 900 cities in 33 countries. In recent years, the manufacturer has focused primarily on the development of zero-emission vehicles – battery-electric buses, hydrogen buses and trolleybuses.

Now the company aims to leverage the know-how gained through years of operating buses in European cities and towns, across diverse road and climate conditions, and transfer this experience to the American market.

With North America in mind, Solaris has developed a new electric vehicle platform tailored to local technical and regulatory requirements. The design incorporates solutions previously developed in Europe – including advanced electric drivetrains, proprietary battery technologies, as well as diagnostic and connectivity systems.

The first orders are already in place. At the end of 2024, Solaris signed a contract with King County Metro in Seattle for the delivery of four electric buses – two 40-foot buses and two articulated 60-foot buses. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the second half of this year.

Another order followed shortly afterward. Under an option included in the same contract, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) ordered six electric buses – three 40-foot vehicles and three articulated buses.

The first buses for Seattle and San Francisco will be manufactured in Poland. The contracts are not subject to Buy America requirements, which apply to local production of public transport vehicles in the United States.

In the longer term, however, Solaris plans to develop local operations as well. The company’s future U.S. base is expected to be CAF’s facility in Elmira Heights, New York.

The official premiere of Solaris’ new electric bus for the American market will take place during the APTA EXPO in Chicago, scheduled for October 5–7 this year. The manufacturer will present a 40-foot electric bus developed specifically for operators in the United States.

For Solaris, this will be the first public presentation of a vehicle designed specifically for the North American market and another important milestone in building the brand’s presence in the U.S. and Canada.