Solaris has secured an order for 10 articulated Trollino 18 trolleybuses for Saint-Étienne Métropole in France, with deliveries scheduled for late 2027.
The contract was signed through the Centrale d’Achat de Transport Public (CATP), a French public transport purchasing organisation. The new vehicles will join the existing Solaris trolleybus fleet serving the metropolitan area.
The 18-metre Trollino 18 models will be equipped with a 250 kW traction motor and batteries, allowing them to operate on sections of the network without overhead wires. Camera systems will replace conventional exterior rear-view mirrors.
Onboard safety equipment will include driver fatigue and distraction monitoring, intelligent speed assistance, lane-change assistance, and systems to detect pedestrians and cyclists. The vehicles will also feature Solaris’ eSConnect remote diagnostics system to support fleet monitoring and maintenance.
The order continues a partnership between Solaris and Saint-Étienne Métropole that began in 2019. The manufacturer has since delivered 23 12-metre Trollino trolleybuses and, in 2025, a further eight articulated Trollino 18 vehicles. With the latest delivery, the total number of Solaris trolleybuses operating in Saint-Étienne is expected to reach 41.
The additional vehicles will contribute to the continued development of the city’s trolleybus network, which forms part of its zero-emission public transport provision.
