For GoZero Group, 2024 has been another year of rapid growth. In February, the group that includes local OEM Nexport announced it had secured $80 million in asset finance facilities from Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) to support its ambitious growth targets. A month later, Nexport was appointed as a preferred supplier of buses for Transport for NSW’s (TfNSW) Panel 4 procurement list.
Now, off the back of recent executive appointments that include former Red Bus Services general manager Leanne Griffiths, Nexport is expanding its electric bus capability to support TfNSW’s Regional and Out Metropolitan (ROM) trials.
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As part of the new regional zero-emissions bus trials in NSW, GoZero Group, via Nexport, will provide electric buses for both the Dyson Group and Edwards’ Coaches to trial in the NSW towns of Deniliquin and Armidale. The trial involves two Nexport 57-seat electric coaches and two Nexport 25-seat models, with the vehicles starting to operate in the greater Riverina and New England regions towards the end of the year.
GoZero managing director Stephen Cartwright says the NSW government’s expression of interest process was very thorough, with Nexport’s selection allowing it to design its electric buses and coaches to suit the regional conditions.
“The trial mandated certain features like the installation of bull bars and stone guards to protect against wildlife, stones and rocks hitting the windows,” Cartwright told ABC.
“We’ve also designed a battery solution to ensure the bus can meet distance requirements and, as part of the scope of works, we’re providing Dysons and Edwards’ Coaches with the necessary charging infrastructure to cater for the range needed for country runs.”
More generally across the fleet, one of the features of the Nexport models is their underfloor battery packs (rather than the norm of batteries being housed on the roof) providing a stronger yet lighter structure. Cartwright says this tweak has also made the models even easier to drive, with greater stability provided courtesy of the low centre of gravity.
These innovations mean Nexport coaches can travel up to 500km on a single charge.
This flexibility is at the heart of Nexport’s capabilities, with Cartwright emphasising that its local content (which includes manufacturing, engineering and design) means it can adjust its models to suit the different requirements of transport operators.
Whether it be increasing the level of torque in a vehicle to get up steeper hills or high-tech safety features like fire resistant flooring and seatbelts as standard, this versatility has been a key reason for Nexport’s inclusion on TfNSW’s procurement list.
With seatbelt detection systems installed alongside a safety package that includes emergency braking, lane departure warning, driver fatigue monitors and a camera that Cartwright says is better than a bird’s eye view to prevent collisions, Nexport’s range isn’t just sustainable – it’s incredibly safe to drive as well as travel on.
“The design of our buses includes a large window close to the entry door that allows drivers to see if someone is in their blind spot,” Cartwright says.
The system provides warnings both on the inside and outside of the vehicle as standard.
“We always say Nexport CARES – which means our models are Comfortable, Accessible, Reliable, Efficient and Safe,” Cartwright says.
Nexport’s focus on local content, sustainability and the latest safety technology will remain at the forefront of GoZero Group’s ongoing expansion in the Australian market.
“GoZero Group, with Nexport’s latest vehicle technology, has a complete package for operators wanting to introduce electric buses to a variety of environments, from city to regional and outer metropolitan,” Cartwright says.
“We already have more than six million kilometres on the clock with our electric buses driving city routes, so we’ve got a lot of operational experience with electric transport.
“Being a local OEM, we can select components and options that are perfectly suited to Australian conditions. We have a variety of global and domestic suppliers for our bus components.
“We also continually change our models to further reduce weight, because we know that the future of zero-emissions transport is in the kilos, not the kilowatts.”
Choosing a light body structure has allowed GoZero Group to select Australian steel for its buses and coaches. This means that the bottom of the build starts with Australian components with the plan to steadily increase local content over time.
In line with the ‘Made in Australia’ agenda of Australian governments, GoZero plans to expand the company’s manufacturing footprint on the eastern seaboard.
Outside of the vehicle production side, GoZero Group is also enhancing its deep analysis of operational circumstances to help operators make the transition to zero-emissions. The GoZero team’s combined extensive operations experience and wide-ranging partner ecosystem enables them to advise on and deliver the right charging infrastructure options for operators across a variety of settings.
While GoZero Group is evolving rapidly in the public sector through Nexport’s Panel 4 inclusion and the TfNSW ROM zero-emissions bus trials, it’s continuing to ramp up in the private sector as well. The company has just completed the supply of 16 electric buses to Swissport to upgrade the fleet that supplies Qantas with transport services.
As part of its sustainable growth strategy, Swissport is investing more than five million Aussie dollars in 2024 in environmentally friendly electric ground handling equipment for its Australian and New Zealand operations. By the end of next year, almost half of Swissport’s fleet in the region will be electric, in line with the company’s global commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
“Our partnership with Swissport is an example of the flexibility that comes with working with a local OEM like Nexport – these buses are purpose built for the airport environment to carry people and luggage,” Cartwright says.
Through Nexport’s innovative and flexible bus and coach models and GoZero’s breadth of offering, the group has established itself as a trusted partner for operators at every stage of establishing a zero-emissions bus fleet.
“It’s onwards and upwards for GoZero Group,” Cartwright says.
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