The Victorian government has launched the first three electric buses in Sunbury as part of its Zero Emissions Bus (ZEB) Trial.
Bus operator Donric deployed three bus units on existing routes in and around the city. The buses are the first in Victoria to use solid-state Lithium Metal Polymer batteries rather than the common lithium-ion batteries used in other electric vehicles.
“Buses are a critical link in Sunbury’s public transport network, so having these greener, cleaner and quieter buses on our roads is going to make a big difference as the trial progresses,” said Member for Sunbury Josh Bull.
Donric is one of six operators in Victoria to participate in the three-year ZEB trial, which will roll out 52 zero electric and two hydrogen buses across Melbourne, Traralgon, and Seymour.
Ben Carroll, minister for public transport, said in a statement on Sunday that the $20 ZEB pilot program will inform the transition of about 4,000 diesel buses in the state’s public fleet to zero emissions.
“We’re investing in greener technologies, supporting local manufacturing and providing passengers with quieter and more comfortable journeys as we drive down pollution and remove noisy diesel buses from our public network for good,” Carroll said.
The trial is also expected to provide insights into how buses can improve financial and environmental sustainability and foster vital local industry partnerships with energy providers and manufacturers in order to achieve the transition across the state.
The majority of electric bus bodies in the trial will be assembled at Volgren’s Dandenong’s South manufacturing facility in Victoria, supporting more local jobs and injecting money into the local economy.
Starting in 2025, all new buses on Victoria’s public transport routes will be zero emissions, the state government said.
“We’re investing in greener technologies, supporting local manufacturing and providing passengers with quieter and more comfortable journeys as we drive down pollution and remove noisy diesel buses from our public network for good,” Carroll said.
In late 2021, the Victorian government awarded a contract to Melbourne-based Kinetic to run a third of the metropolitan bus network, accelerating the state’s transition to a zero-emissions bus fleet.
The company is expected to roll out 36 electric buses to the Melbourne fleet by mid-2024, adding to the 52 zero-emissions buses being introduced through the ZEB trial.
