Electric Buses Make Up Over 50% of New Deliveries in Australia
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CleanTechnica last reported on Australian electric bus sales using January’s data. Things have changed. In January, 155 buses were delivered and only 9 were BEVs.
Checking out Q1 2026 deliveries via Google revealed that 121 electric buses were delivered across Australia from January to March of 2026. The trajectory is obvious — January only 9; February 45; and March 67. That’s a nice upward curve. With the diesel shortage in Australia, I bet they wished they had ordered more. Buses came from a variety of sources, including Yutong, Volvo, Custom Denning, and Scania.
When you compare the numbers in February — 147 buses were delivered, 45 were zero-emissions BEVs. That’s about a third. It looks like the bus market is getting ahead of the passenger car market. In February, about 20% of new light vehicles came with a plug.
Australian Bus News describes the movement in the market as “a substantial change in the power source split.” Buses were provided by Volvo (12), BYD’s Nexport (11), Yutong (8), Custom Denning (7), and Scania (5). This “substantial change” continued in March, “with the alternative energy buses accounting for 59 of the 199 deliveries.” That’s approaching 30%, compared to 24% for passenger cars.
Moving into the second quarter, electrification appears to be accelerating. In April, 72 of the 158 bus and coach deliveries were electric. That’s just over 45%! Most of these came from BYD (21); Scania (15); and Yutong (13). Numbers held steady in May, with 73 zero-emission buses and 80 diesels. It is hard to ascertain the numbers ordered and not yet delivered, but estimates suggest that about 1,200 buses are in the pipeline. Surely, we need a better metaphor — perhaps a queue at the bus stop?
National data for bus orders is not available, but here are some at the state level:
- The New South Wales government has announced a AU$6.5 billion commitment over 10 years to buy at least 1,700 new electric buses and build 17 dedicated charging depots. The Australian Labour Party (ALP) holds power in NSW. The New South Wales commitment is 67% of the order backlog.
- The Victorian government has mandated that all new public transport bus purchases must be zero-emission vehicles from 1 July 2025. Currently, about 80 electric buses are actively running in Melbourne, the capital of Victoria. Regional trials are due to start later this year. Victoria is also under ALP stewardship with 18% of the backlog. NSW and Victoria are the most heavily populated of the Australian states.
- Queensland has recently changed government from the Labour Party to the Liberal Nationals (LNP). The LNP have watered down the “EV only mandate” and are promoting a “balanced approach” to replacing older diesel and gas buses. However, the local bus industry is expected to produce and supply more than 400 vehicles in coming years. Queensland’s orders make up 11% of the backlog. Sad to say that politics plays a part in determining what sort of bus you take to work!
- The Australian Capital Territory plans to completely transition the Canberra bus network to electric.
Apparently, in the midst of transition, some bottlenecks have appeared. These include bus depot electrical upgrades. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, 10 out of 14 major Sydney bus depots are “failing to meet their completion targets” for electrification. With charging grids not ready, some of the brand-new buses being delivered are being kept in temporary storage facilities.
Not all electric buses are being imported. Local supplier Volgren is in the process of delivering a 95 battery-electric bus order for Transport for NSW. Volgren has a national goal to have 600 of its zero-emission buses active on roads. Western Australia is adding about 11 new electric buses to Perth’s Transperth network each month. The goal — 130 new battery electric buses on the road. There are already 150 electric buses, from all brands on the road in Perth. Western Australia is also governed by the Australian Labour Party.
In breaking news, Volgren has unveiled Australia’s first electric articulated bus in Western Australia — locally referred to as bendy buses, except in Queensland where we call them banana buses (of course). Based on Volvo’s zero-emission technology with Volgren’s local body design and engineering.
Volgren led the local design, engineering, and manufacture of the bus body, ensuring the vehicle was built to meet local operating conditions, passenger requirements, and network expectations. The Optimus ebus is 18 metres long and seats 57. The bus body sits on a Volvo BZLA — articulated battery-electric chassis. Optimus is powered by a Dual Motor EPT802, using 12 LFP CATL batteries with a total installed energy capacity of 497 kWh. Optimus uses CCS2 charging.
Volgren CEO Thiago Deiro said: “Australia’s first electric articulated bus demonstrates what can be achieved when global technology is supported by strong local capability. We are proud to have delivered this vehicle from our Malaga (in Western Australia) facility in partnership with Volvo and the PTA.
“The transition to zero-emission transport is not only about new technology. It is also about ensuring vehicles are designed, built and supported for the networks they operate in. For Volgren, this milestone reinforces the value of Australian manufacturing and the role our people continue to play in shaping the future of public transport,” Mr Deiro added.
There were almost 43,000 diesel buses registered in Australia in 2025 and 629 BEVs. This equates to about 1% of the fleet. A drop in the bucket, you might say? But in 2026 the numbers are changing rapidly. The future of Australia’s bus fleet is bright and electric.
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