Zero-emission technology represents the largest shift in the bus and coach industry in recent memory. While transforming fleets from diesel to battery electric buses is now well understood and, in some regions, widely accepted, the transition is still in its early stages in Australia compared to the rest of the world.
Aside from the well-known positive environmental impacts of reducing air and noise pollution, in turn improving overall customer and community experience, electric buses and coaches provide some great benefits over diesel models. For a start, maintenance costs are 30 to 40 per cent lower compared to diesel and fuel costs are 75 to 85 per cent lower than diesel. Throw in government grants and carbon credit systems and there’s plenty to incentivise operators and enterprise to get behind the transition.
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However, the uptake by local bus operators is still slow when it comes to transitioning to ZEBs, whether it be due to perceived cost issues, range anxiety, reliability or lack of policy in Australia. To help support the transition and ensure GoZero Group consistently delivers leading edge, high quality ZEBs and coaches, the group has boosted its leadership team by bringing in an industry expert with deep international automotive manufacturing experience. Meet Mike Bahr.
Bahr, GoZero’s new CEO of manufacturing, has worked extensively across the Asia Pacific region for companies including Ford Motor Company, General Motors Holden, Ricardo PLC and most recently Omni Powertrain Technologies Asia. With the Australian bus industry at a critical juncture in its zero-emissions transition, his local and international knowledge is set to help drive the sector forward towards an electric future.
Mike Bahr
“I jumped at the opportunity to join GoZero at this exciting point in its growth trajectory as a leading player in zero-emissions transport in Australia,” Bahr told ABC.
“As a proud Australian who’s been abroad for nearly a decade, I’m really looking forward to sharing my electric vehicle manufacturing knowledge, skills and experience during this critical phase of industry transformation. The opportunities for advanced manufacturing are limitless.”
For GoZero Group managing director Stephen Cartwright OAM, the choice was obvious.
“Once complete, the acquisition of BusTech will see us exponentially grow our local manufacturing capability with factories across NSW, Queensland and South Australia,” Cartwright told ABC.
“Appointing someone of Mike’s calibre to lead the manufacturing division, supported by our new manufacturing director Chris Poole, ensures we can and will deliver world-class zero-emission buses and coaches to meet the growing demands of Australia’s public and private sector.”
Bahr’s witnessed firsthand the rapid adoption of zero-emission vehicles while based in the world’s largest growth market in China. Noticeable advancements in the fast-paced electric transport sector include ongoing development in the performance, safety, cost and user experience of zero-emissions vehicles.
Continued investment in electric motors and electronics is leading to higher power density and more efficient machines. Put simply, Bahr says the latest electric buses are “better performing buses and offer improved range at lower cost”.
“The driver and passenger experience are greatly improved with electric over diesel equivalents thanks to the instant torque, smooth operation and low noise,” he says.
Another rapidly advancing area is battery technology, including significant improvements in cell chemistry. Once a dominant concern for local operators, Bahr describes range anxiety as “almost a legacy issue,” particularly for city buses. Lithium-ion batteries, in particular Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries, remain the leading choice in Australia due to “longer life and safety”. Leading global battery manufacturers are pushing performance to new heights while reducing costs thanks to advancements in battery chemistry.
One emerging technology generating media attention thanks to proposed legislative changes is Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology. V2G allows vehicles to both draw electricity from the grid and send power back to it, unlocking new applications.
“Vehicles effectively become mobile battery storage, helping meet society’s increasing demands for energy,” Bahr says.
Beyond hardware, software-defined vehicle technology already prevalent in passenger EVs is proving useful in the bus and coach sector, enhancing vehicle functions, safety and fleet management. Bahr notes that while government contracts currently impose “relatively modest telematics requirements”, fleet management providers are continuously improving their systems.
“There are now well-known advantages of telematics in electric bus fleets, including fleet, energy, charging management, predictive maintenance and enhanced safety,” he says.
“The passenger experience and integration with smart infrastructure have also become key focuses.”
Despite rapid progress in zero-emissions bus technology, other advancements such as autonomous vehicles are moving at a slower pace. Bahr points out that “Australia is not currently on a defined path to introducing fully self-driving vehicles” due to the complexity of its road systems, infrastructure and the regulatory environment. However, driver-assistance technologies are becoming more common.
New Australian Design Rules (ADR) such as ADR 97, which mandates Advanced Emergency Braking (AEB) for heavy vehicles, and ADR 68/01, which introduces seatbelt monitoring, are enhancing vehicle safety, along with driver fatigue monitoring, lane-keeping assistance and reverse-assist features becoming standard.
From a manufacturing perspective, Australia’s comparatively small-scale bus manufacturing sector faces challenges, but it is eyeing potential benefits from emerging Asian manufacturers.
“On recent visits to partner sites in China, I was impressed by the increasingly high levels of automation, widespread robotics, automated e-coat facilities and smart factories,” Bahr says.
“Meanwhile, leading European bus builders are exploring advanced materials such as carbon fibre body structures which offer performance and weight advantages but come with significant manufacturing and cost challenges.
“By harnessing global innovations, leveraging local manufacturing capability and government providing the necessary support, there’s no doubt zero-emissions transport will be the obvious choice for Australian operators.”