- Minister for Public Transport
Victoria's first locally built, fully electric bus will soon begin carrying passengers on one of Melbourne's busiest routes, thanks to a partnership between the Andrews Labor Government and Transdev.
The bus will run on Route 246 between Elsternwick and Clifton Hill via St Kilda before potentially being used across other inner Melbourne routes.
The body construction and fit out for the new bus was carried out in Dandenong by Volgren, supporting Victorian jobs and backing the local automotive industry to develop new capability and innovation.
The new zero-emission bus is fitted with 324 kWH of Lithium Phosphate batteries providing 300 kilometers of travel range.
The bus will not only help to reduce carbon emissions, it will also improve air quality and deliver a quieter and smoother ride for passengers.
It features a low floor, intelligent early detection collision avoidance systems, USB charging ports and will be among the cleanest commercial vehicles on Australian roads.
The bus will be based at Transdev's North Fitzroy depot where a charging station has been installed.
The trial will continue until January 2021 and will be reviewed to determine the potential to roll out fully electric buses across Victoria.
As stated by Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne
"We're modernising, expanding and upgrading our bus fleet, while improving the passenger experience and trialing new technology with the aim of reducing the impact on the environment.
"It doesn't matter what mode of transport you use - bus, train or tram - because we're investing across the entire network to provide safe and reliable trips for Victorians."
As stated by CEO Transdev Australasia, Luke Agati
"As the leading operator of zero-emission mobility solutions globally, we're delighted to partner with the Victorian Government to bring this technology to Melbourne."
"We believe electric buses will play an important role in Melbourne's future public transport network and we're looking forward to hearing from our customers about what they think of Melbourne's first locally built, fully electric bus."
