Over the past five years, Australia has witnessed a steady increase in the adoption of zero-emission buses (ZEBs), a trend powered by industry-led sustainability initiatives and government direction under the various state and federal net zero policies. However, it has always been understood throughout bus and coach that a successful transition relies on infrastructure development keeping pace.
Industry-led sustainability shifts
The transportation sector has been a focal point for decarbonisation efforts given its significant contribution to national emissions, even though buses only contribute 1.8 per cent to overall transport emissions. Bus manufacturers and fleet operators have led the charge by investing heavily in electric and hydrogen fuel cell technologies, including local design and assembly.
These innovations not only reduce emissions, but provide improved public transport user experience and achieve government expectations for cleaner transport options.
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Leading sector
The accompanying graphic clearly charts this transformation, with ZEB sales climbing from 0.2 per cent in 2020 bus sales to 11 per cent in 2024 (and 18 per cent by July 2025), leading the transition to zero within the automotive sector.
This growth has been despite fluctuations in total bus sales, indicating how ZEBs are capturing a larger share of the market. The dotted yellow trend line underscores the consistent upward momentum in ZEB adoption.
Policy must match infrastructure to succeed
Australia’s commitment to achieving net zero by 2050 has been a powerful catalyst for the embrace and growth of ZEBs. However, the continued rise in sales has identified how policy momentum should mirror infrastructure readiness to optimise deployment.
The Bus Industry Confederation’s (BIC) Driving Towards Zero Emissions 2024 policy position paper highlights this critical condition, stressing that investment in ZEBs must be accompanied by:
- Robust charging and refuelling infrastructure across urban and regional networks;
- Grid capacity upgrades to ensure reliable and sustainable power supply for large-scale electric bus operations, and
- Integrated planning between industry, transport agencies, energy providers and local governments to avoid bottlenecks and delays.
Without sufficient infrastructure and energy planning, the rapid roll-out of ZEBs could outpace the systems that support it.
The BIC’s policy calls for a coordinated national approach to infrastructure development, including long-term investment strategies and clear accountability frameworks. Key to this is collaborating with existing industry expertise on infrastructure goals and the solutions to achieve them.
While government direction has successfully accelerated ZEB uptake, the next phase of Australia’s net zero journey depends on ensuring that the physical and energy infrastructure is ready to meet the demands of a zero-emission future.
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