Optare Solo
The Switch Solo (formerly sold as the Optare Solo) is a low-floor minibus/midibus with one or two doors manufactured by Switch Mobility in the United Kingdom since 1998. The Solo name is a play on its low-floor status, the manufacturer marketing its vehicle as having an entrance that is "so low" from the floor, namely 200 mm (8 in) with kneeling suspension. In January 2012 Optare announced the end of production for the original Solo design with a modified Solo SR taking over.
| Switch Solo Switch Solo SR | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Switch Mobility |
| Production | 1998–2012 (Solo) 2007–present (Solo SR) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Minibus Midibus |
| Body style | Single-decker bus |
| Doors | 1 door or 2 doors |
| Floor type | Low entry |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | Cummins B series/ISB/ISBe MAN Mercedes-Benz |
| Capacity | 23–37 seated |
| Transmission | Allison Siemens (hybrid electric) Enova Systems (fully electric) Magtec (fully electric) Voith DIWA (SR version only) |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 7.10–10.20 m (23 ft 4 in – 33 ft 6 in) |
| Width | 2.33–2.5 m (7 ft 8 in – 8 ft 2 in) |
| Height | 2.73 m (8 ft 11 in) |
The original innovative design, featuring a front axle ahead of the entrance door, gained a Millennium product award, along with a Queen's Award for Enterprise. 3,857 original model Solos were built between 1998 and 2012. As of April 2017, almost 1,500 Solo SRs had been built.