Electric Bus Progress in Australia & New Zealand

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More and more electric buses are arriving on suburban streets Down Under. Here are some snippets of news. Thanks to the folks at Bus News for the heads up.

The Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, was pleased to announce on his Instagram that over one million passengers have ridden on the new, electric Metro system. He exclaims: “We are just getting started!” It is part of Brisbane’s preparation for the 2032 Olympics. The milestone shows that commuters will take the leap from public transport to mass transit if it is fast, frequent, and affordable. We reported on the Metro here.

“We are the only council in Australia delivering major congestion-busting and city-shaping transport projects for residents and our Metros and New Bus Network will ensure Brisbane can keep pace with our rapid population growth and allow us to deliver additional services where they are most needed,” Brisbane City Council Councillor Vicki Howard says.

“I am so pleased to see Central Ward residents voting with their feet and embracing our leap from public transport to mass transit in our inner city.”

The Metro service is currently running inner city services every 5 minutes. Over a three-week period in March, 145,000 extra passengers were carried, compared with the same period in 2024. With expansions in train, the Metro is expected to deliver an extra 30 million seats a year.

South of the border in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, we have the story of an experienced bus driver delaying his retirement so he could try out the new electric buses. “I was ready to retire, but when they told me an electric bus was coming in, I thought, why not give it a go?#8221; he said. Mr Crossingham had been driving diesel school buses for 25 years.

He was surprised that he was able to make the transition so easily. “It’s quiet, smooth and different, in a good way,” he said. “The kids love it and so do I. I prefer it to the older buses. It’s much simpler.” Transport for NSW’s ZEB trial includes two 57-seat and one 28-seat battery electric buses on school bus runs to 15 schools.

In the last six months, Mr Crossingham has driven roughly 14,000 kilometres on the Sutton Public School run in one of the bright blue ZEBs. We reported on the trial here. In his retirement, Crossingham, now 74, is planning a “bus man’s holiday” — driving around Australia. Hope he has an electric car in which to do the trip.

In the Australian Capital Territory — halfway between Melbourne and Sydney — Transport Canberra has opened a state-of-the-art electric bus depot in Woden. This depot will be the home of ACT’s zero-emission bus fleet. It will be capable of charging 96 buses simultaneously. Infrastructure is in place to support the charging needs. In the future, solar panels will be part of the energy mix.

Recent budget allocations by the ACT means that 30 new electric buses will soon enter service.

Meanwhile, in Western Australia, the state government is honouring its commitment to phase out diesel buses, awarding a AU$12.3 million contract for electric infrastructure at the Karrinyup Bus Depot to Jetcharge.

By next year, a major fleet electric buses are expected to be operating from the upgraded depot. The contract covers the installation of EV charging equipment, substation upgrades, CCTV upgrades, and other necessary works to support 110 electric buses.

Transperth expects to replace 130 diesel buses utilising funding from both state and federal governments. AU$250 million has been allocated to the electric bus program. Bus chargers were installed at the Elizabeth Quay Bus Station last year, making Karrinyup the second major facility to be upgraded. More depots are being prepared to host and charge electric buses — the Malaga depot (capacity for 90 e-buses) and a new depot at Bayswater (capacity for 130 e-buses).

“We made a commitment to phase out the production of diesel buses and this contract award is a major step in making that a reality. With every new electric bus that is entered into service we need to ensure that our depots have the infrastructure in place to keep the fleet running efficiently and effectively. It is imperative our bus depots incorporate EV infrastructure so that the transition from a diesel-heavy fleet to one that includes cleaner, greener buses happen as smoothly as possible,” West Australia Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said.

Over the ditch in New Zealand, Otago Regional Council is introducing 75-seat electric buses. By next month, “there will be six of the 75-capacity buses as part of a fleet of a total of 13 new electric buses being brought into service for the Mosgiel routes.” Mosgiel is a satellite suburb of Dunedin on the South Island of New Zealand.

A wheelchair-accessible 22-seat bus will also be available for the up-and-coming Mosgiel “on demand” service, ORC Manager of Transport Lorraine Cheyne says.

The fleet will be stabled at Go Bus’s existing depot, which has been upgraded to include charging infrastructure for the 13 new electric vehicles. Go Bus is a subsidiary of Kinetic. “The arrival of the first Go Bus zero emission bus (ZEB) marks an exciting milestone in our journey with Otago Regional Council to deliver cleaner, more sustainable public transport for the region,” says Ben Barlow, Chief Operating Officer at Go Bus.

“We’ve already received fantastic feedback from both customers and drivers — passengers are enjoying the quieter, more comfortable ride, while our drivers have found the vehicle smooth to operate across varied terrain, from motorways to residential streets. Comprehensive driver training has ensured our team is confident and well-prepared, and we’ve completed the depot charging infrastructure ahead of schedule to fully support the 13 electric buses as they come into service.”

“It’s a proud moment for our Dunedin team, and we’re excited to keep working alongside ORC to support their long-term environmental goals,” says Mr Barlow. The plan is to progressively phase out and replace diesel buses with electric. The fleet currently sits at 106 vehicles. The new bus is a Geely C13E.

ORC expects to save 2.16 million litres of diesel over the nine years of the current contract using electric buses.

Moving to the North Island of New Zealand, Auckland has launched a fleet of 44 electric buses. Twenty-six of these are double-deckers. Commuters from West Auckland to the city centre now have a more efficient and environmentally friendly way to travel.

“Electric buses will contribute to net neutral carbon emission on transport services, so having this eye-catching fleet on the road in west Auckland supports AT’s environmental goals,” declares Catherine Jones, Tranzit’s Tranzurban Division General Manager. They are a win-win for west Aucklanders, and the environment.

The more electric buses on our city streets, the less diesel fumes and particulate we and our children will have to breathe — and the less fossil fuel Australia and New Zealand will have to import. Electric buses come with economic and health benefits. Remember diesel starts with “die.” On suburban busways, the future is bright and electric.