Saint-Étienne Métropole is expanding its trolleybus fleet with ten Solaris Trollino 18 articulated buses, each scheduled for delivery at the end of 2027. A total of 41 Solaris trolleybuses will then be operational in the French city. Thanks to onboard batteries, the new buses can also travel on sections of road without overhead lines.

Polish manufacturer Solaris has signed another contract with Saint-Étienne Métropole. The public transport authority in the Loire department has ordered ten articulated Trollino 18 trolleybuses through the Centrale d’Achat de Transport Public (CATP), a central procurement body for French public transport. The buses are scheduled for delivery at the end of 2027 and will operate alongside the existing Solaris vehicles already in service. The company has not disclosed the value of the order in its press release.

The partnership between Solaris and the French city dates back to 2019. Back then, Saint-Étienne ordered 22 Trollino 12 buses under a contract valued at €17 million euros, including an option for two additional vehicles. This was the first trolleybus order Solaris received from France. The drivetrain was supplied by Škoda. Even then, auxiliary batteries with over 40 kWh enabled short sections to be operated without overhead lines. In the following years, 23 of the 12-metre solo buses were delivered. In 2025, eight articulated Trollino 18 buses were added. With this new delivery, the Solaris fleet in Saint-Étienne will grow to a total of 41 vehicles, including 18 articulated buses.

The new Trollino 18 buses are 18 metres long and have a power output of 250 kW.

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