Two years ago, as part of its 2026 Strategic Plan for the bus sector, the CAF Group set itself the objective of penetrating the North American market with an exclusive value proposition of zero-emission urban buses. Winning this first contract is a major milestone that establishes Solaris as a supplier of sustainable buses in North America.
This first contract in the US market includes the delivery of 4 electric buses for King County Metro, the main public transport authority in Seattle (Washington State) with a fleet of more than 1,500 buses. This system is used by more than 78 million people per year. Specifically, this agreement includes the delivery of two 40-foot (12 m) electric buses and two 60-foot (18 m) articulated electric buses, with the option to extend this supply by up to 12 additional units. The vehicles are scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2026.
These buses will be based on the electric platform designed specifically for the North American market, which complies with all U.S. regulations, including the FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) and the ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act). This platform incorporates Solaris' most advanced battery bus technology based on 15 years of experience in the European market. This includes advanced electric propulsion systems, Solaris' patented battery integration technology, and state-of-the-art connectivity features.
To date, Solaris has delivered more than 5,000 zero-emission vehicles, including battery electric buses, hydrogen buses and trolleybuses, operating in some 30 European countries. Solaris has the widest product range on the market, with models of all lengths and propulsion technologies, with a particular focus on low and zero emission vehicles. In 2017, the Solaris Urbino 12 electric model was named Bus of the Year. More recently, the Company's hydrogen powered Urbino 18 won the Bus of the Year 2025 award in Europe. All this shows how the Solaris brand has been widely recognized and respected in Europe for many years thanks to the quality and optimum performance of its vehicles.
In short, with this first contract on the American continent, Solaris has taken a decisive step towards achieving its goal of making its experience and technology available to the US transport authorities, thereby supporting the country's move towards zero-emission transport, which is being promoted by both current legislation and federal funding, and foreshadowing the gradual progress towards sustainable urban transport, as is already the case in Europe.
The North American market is currently characterised as a stable market of around 7,000 urban buses per year. The penetration of zero-emission buses is currently low, but the market is expected to grow at double-digit rates until 2030. Solaris is working on several opportunities that may come to fruition soon.
The new contract in Seattle adds to a record European backlog
Solaris's geographic diversification complements its current business in Europe, where it currently enjoys a leading technology and market position, reflected in continued and growing commercial success. This is evidenced by the current order backlog, which is at an all-time high and indicates a continuation of the current growth and profitability trend in line with the current Strategic Plan, due to the high volume of deliveries planned and the high penetration rate of zero-emission buses.
Accordingly, next year will follow the trend of 2024, which is expected to close with a double-digit increase in annual turnover, following an extremely strong fourth quarter in terms of bus deliveries, after a third quarter affected by special circumstances such as regulatory changes or the floods in Central Europe in September.
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