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Foton Mobility set to build electric bus manufacturing facility in Nowra

The new facility would go hand-in-hand with Foton's latest contract to deliver 126 battery electric buses to service Greater Sydney

Nowra could soon be home to a brand-new electric bus manufacturing facility, with Foton Mobility Distribution planning to build the 6000 square foot centre from late 2025.

The project follows Foton’s recently awarded contract with the NSW government where it is set to deliver 126 battery electric buses that will be built in Nowra and service bus routes across Greater Sydney.

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The new facility won’t just be for manufacturing buses, but also set to produce battery electric trucks, as well as hydrogen fuel cell engines, creating around 100 ongoing quality, skilled manufacturing jobs for local workers.

“When the NSW government says we want to build more buses here, we mean it,” transport minister Jo Haylen says.

“Once our partners at Foton get this plant up and running there will be an extra 100 quality manufacturing jobs right here. That’s great news for Nowra and a big boost for NSW manufacturing.

“We want our local manufacturers and suppliers have good opportunities to get involved in building the Zero Emissions Buses that we need. That’s why we have structured our zero-emissions bus program in a way that builds our bus manufacturing capacity for the long term.”

Foton’s bus contract was one of the first bus orders made through the NSW government’s Zero Emission Buses (ZEB) program. GoZero Group owns 50 per cent of Foton Mobility Distribution.

This program is also converting 11 existing bus depots in Greater Sydney to battery electric technology, building a new battery electric depot at Macquarie Park and procuring around 1,200 new electric buses by 2028.

“The offshoring of public transport by the former government was a complete disaster, which is why we’re building these buses here in NSW – creating local jobs and public transport that works,” premier Chris Minns says.

“This state of the art facility in Nowra will create ongoing skilled jobs in regional NSW while also delivering emissions free world class public transport for the people of our state.

“Workers across NSW are great at building public transport like these buses, and under our government they’re building them here again.”

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