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Following the successful start to rolling out electric buses in the public service in both Queensland and New South Wales, Victoria is now making its move through Custom Denning and Sunbury Bus and Coach/Donric Group. ABC magazine was excited to be on the ground in early May as the group, along with Siemens, unveiled the first trial electric bus to start running routes in Sunbury and regional Victoria. The move will benefit both Sunbury locals and Australia’s transport network, while also signalling Siemens’ position as a leading electrification partner. Check it out on page 28. Electric buses continued to grace Victoria as ComfortDelGro unveiled a new Oakleigh depot to serve zero emission models under the state’s latest trial. To say new electric technology is coming faster than ever in the…
AUSTRALIA’S FIRST all-electric bus depot has been opened in Currumbin and is powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, including a 56-kilowatt solar panel array. It is expected the depot will house 14 buses, with some travelling the 777 route from the airport to Coolangatta. The ‘green depot’ in the coastal suburb of Currumbin is part of Kinetic’s south-east Queensland bus operation Surfside Buslines. Transport and main roads minister Mark Bailey said it builds on the state government’s recently released Zero Emissions Vehicle strategy. “We’ve made a commitment that every new bus in southeast Queensland would be zero emission from 2025, so to see it happening now is a fantastic achievement,” Bailey said. “That commitment expands to our regions between 2025 and 2030. “Electric buses are better for the environment…
TWO AND A HALF YEARS after the contract was awarded, Brisbane Metro’s much-anticipated vehicle, the lighTram 25, built and designed by Swiss vehicle manufacturer Hess, has arrived in Brisbane. The 24.5-metre bi-articulated, battery electric pilot vehicle will go through an extensive testing and acceptance process, including on-road testing on Brisbane’s busways and assessment of flash-charging capabilities. Alex Naef, CEO of Hess, said the lighTram 25 offers something unique in the Australian transport sector. “The lighTram 25 is capable of quietly, efficiently and cleanly moving large numbers of people, all while providing a new level of passenger experience,” he said. “This is a flexible transport system that is not tied to rail infrastructure and that can be easily adapted to different transport routes because of the vehicle’s manoeuvrability. “Over the full…
The Victorian government’s $20 million three-year Zero Emissions Bus Trial will see three trials take place. Seymour will be the first regional town to be fully serviced by electric buses, Traralgon will see Latrobe Valley Bus Lines introduce the first electric bus based in the town and Sunbury will see Donric Group operate three electric buses, operating in and around Melbourne’s west. Siemens’ Sicharge UC charging centre and dispensers will be used to charge Volvo BZL buses and Custom Denning buses. Siemens DepotFinity charging management software will be used to monitor the real-time status of charging infrastructure, analyse historical charging sessions and adopt smart load management strategies to minimise electricity expenditure. This information will feed into the government’s objectives of assessing how electric buses perform and the energy and charging…
THREE NEW double decker buses will roll into service this month in Sydney, with Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) operator Transit Systems increasing capacity on some of the city’s busiest routes. Transit Systems NSW managing director Jamie Sinclair said the new Volvo buses would have an immediate and positive impact for passengers, creating around 1,700 extra spaces a day for customers on the T80. “The new double decker buses simply have more capacity, giving passengers peace of mind that they can travel at peak times, on their preferred route,” he said. “Our aim is to enhance the customer service for all passengers, from better on-time running, to safe and reliable services, and these buses help us deliver a more comfortable service where and when extra seats are needed the…
MERCEDES-BENZ continues to rigorously test its eCitaro bus after its recent launch and subsequent use in Italy. The eCitaro G, which is the articulated version of the eCitaro, has been put through its paces in all conditions serving the Seiser Alm region in Turkey at an altitude of approximately 2,000 metres. Mercedes-Benz Turkish bus development body director Dr Zeynep Gul Koca spoke about the development of the bus. “We are responsible for the development of the eCitaro models’ interior equipment, bodywork, exterior coatings, electrical infrastructure, diagnostic systems, road tests and hardware durability tests,” she said. “The successful performance of the articulated eCitaro G under difficult conditions also increases the motivation of our R&D team, which has done important work in the development of the vehicle.” Continuing to carry its investments…
