Solaris marks 30 years with 28,000 buses across Europe

Solaris Bus & Coach is marking 30 years since its first city bus rolled off the production line in Bolechowo, Poland in March 1996, having grown from a 36-person operation into one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of zero-emission public transport vehicles. The company has delivered 28,000 buses and trolleybuses to nearly 900 cities across 33 countries, with nearly 7,000 of those vehicles carrying zero-emission drivetrains.

One in every seven zero-emission buses currently operating in Europe is a Solaris vehicle, with 86% of its current sales comprising low- or zero-emission models. Its portfolio spans battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell and trolleybus variants across multiple lengths, including a bi-articulated model reaching 24 metres.

Solaris joined the CAF Group in 2018, a move the company credits with enabling its expansion into global markets. Its next major step is entry into North America, with Canada and the United States identified as forthcoming markets. The company currently employs nearly 4,000 people across its Polish operations and 16 European subsidiaries.

Founded by Krzysztof Olszewski during Poland’s post-communist economic transition, Solaris introduced its first own-brand vehicle, the Urbino city bus, in 1999. The electric variant of the Urbino won Bus of the Year in 2017, and in 2025 the company’s articulated hydrogen bus claimed the same title.

In a statement, Agata Stańda, Chief Executive of Solaris Bus & Coach, said: “Over the last three decades Solaris has evolved into a market leader, shaping modern public transport across Europe. As we begin our fourth decade, we do so with the same determination and with even more ambitious plans for the future.”

Source: Solaris