Sydney to receive 40 electric buses

Transport New South Wales will become home to Australia's first electric buses, with 40 vehicles slated to hit the Sydney streets over the next six months.

Backed by the Federal Government, the project will see 12 zero-emission buses enter service this month and a further 28 to follow over the next six, all of which are set to be based out of the Leichhardt depot in inner Sydney.

The pilot project has been made possible thanks to a $29.5 million investment, with $24.5m coming from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and $5m from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

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Supported by Transport for NSW and Transit Systems, the roll-out will be delivered by Transgrid and Zenobe – with the ultimate intention of Sydney's bus fleet becoming the first to go all-electric by 2030.

NSW Minister for Transport, Rob Stokes, said the Government is on track to meet its goal with the first steps being put into motion.

“We’ve set an ambitious target to transition our fleet of 8000 buses to zero-emission technology by 2030 and this project is a huge step in that direction," said Stokes.

“The innovative financing model adopted means we’re able to deliver 40 new electric buses for the inner west quickly, at no extra cost to the NSW taxpayer.

“We will also upgrade the infrastructure at the Leichhardt depot, shifting from diesel pumps to smart charging stations, solar panels and large scale energy storage.”

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Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reductions, Angus Taylor, said the program had the backing of the Federal Government and would serve the local community well.

“This project demonstrates the importance of governments and industry working together to reduce emissions in hard to abate sectors like road and transport," said Taylor.

"The aim of the pilot is to show the technical and commercial viability of using electric buses travelling a full route without the need to stop to recharge along the way.

“This significant investment will establish the nation’s first fully-integrated electric bus depot, allowing other fleet operators to better understand commercial implications and make informed choices about new technologies.”

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The Leichhardt depot will be retrofitted to house 324kWh and 422kWh batteries, as well as five 120kW chargers and 31 80kW chargers for the 40-strong fleet of buses.

With 2.5mW/4.9MWh of stationary battery storage and 388kW of rooftop solar PV, the station will be one of the most advanced in Australia, leading the way towards electric public transport adoption.

The announcement comes less than a day after the NSW Parliament passed its Electric Vehicles Bill, which included incentives for people in the state to purchase a new EV as part of a $600m investment.