The Optare Solo, sold since 1998 and known from 2021 as the Switch Solo, is a low-floor minibus and midibus built in the United Kingdom. Its name is a play on its low-floor status: the manufacturer marketed the vehicle as having an entrance that is “so low” from the floor, 200 mm (8 in) with kneeling suspension.
Optare Solo at a glance
| Maker | Optare, later Switch Mobility |
|---|---|
| Production | 1998–2025 |
| Type | integral low-floor midibus |
| Construction | steel frame with fibreglass panels |
| Engine | Mercedes-Benz OM904LA, 122 or 147 bhp |
| Gearbox | Allison 2000 automatic |
| Lengths | 7.8, 8.5, 9.2 and 9.9 m |
| Width | 2.5 m |
| Entrance | 200 mm (8 in) with kneeling |
| Seating | 25 to 37 depending on length |
| Awards | Millennium product award and Queen’s Award for Enterprise, 2000 |
| Original design replaced | January 2012, by the Solo SR |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Solo.
History of the Optare Solo
The Solo was introduced in 1998 as an integral midibus, with the chassis and body built as one structure rather than a separate chassis and body. Its original design, with the front axle ahead of the entrance door, gained a Millennium product award and a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2000. In January 2012 Optare announced the end of production for the original Solo design, with a modified Solo SR taking over.
The bus is built in a modular design with a steel frame and fibreglass panels. It is powered by a Mercedes-Benz OM904LA engine producing 122 bhp (91 kW) or 147 bhp (110 kW) according to specification, typically mated to an Allison 2000 automatic gearbox. Options of a Cummins ISBe six-cylinder 185 bhp (138 kW) engine or a MAN engine later became available, and there was also the option of a four-speed Allison AT545 gearbox.
The Solo is available in lengths of 7.8 m, 8.5 m, 9.2 m and 9.9 m, all 2.5 m wide. The chassis type code denotes the length: M780 corresponds to 7.8 m, M850 to 8.5 m and so forth. Cummins-powered Solos needed extra rear bodywork for the larger engine, which added 0.3 m to the overall length and was reflected in the code, so a Cummins-powered Solo was coded M810, M880, M950 or M1020. Seating capacities range from 25 for an M780 to 37 for an M990.
Design and features
- Low floor: an entrance 200 mm above the road with kneeling suspension.
- Integral construction: steel frame and fibreglass panels in a modular design.
- Length codes: the chassis code gives the length, M780 for 7.8 m and so on.
- Engine choice: Mercedes-Benz as standard, Cummins or MAN as options.
- Hybrid and electric versions: tried from 2004 and 2009 respectively.
Optare Solo versions
- Slimline (2004): a narrow-bodied version 2.33 m wide with small rear wheelarch extensions, sold in all lengths except the M990 and coded with an SL suffix, such as M780SL.
- SE (2006): the shortest Solo at 7.1 m with 23 seats, a variant of the Slimline with a reduced rear track and an optional single-piece entrance door.
- Hybrid (2004 and 2010): an early Eneco hybrid drive with a 1.9-litre Volkswagen engine and later a Euro VI Mercedes-Benz engine with Siemens electric drive and roof-mounted batteries.
- EV (2009): an all-electric Solo limited to 90 km/h, using a MAGTEC P180 motor and two banks of Valence lithium-ion phosphate batteries.
- Solo+ (2008): a restyled variant shown at the Euro Bus Expo 2008, which did not enter production.
The MetroRider was the Solo’s predecessor in the Optare range, and the Vecta was the larger step-entrance body of the 1990s. More buses are in the Optare collection.
Video: TM Travel Optare Solo M850 1147 W292 EYG Mad Gear Change
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Optare Solo, English Wikipedia: construction, lengths, variants, awards
