The Victorian government has introduced the first electric bus in regional Victoria in the Latrobe Valley
The Victorian government has introduced the first electric bus in regional Victoria as part of the Zero Emissions Bus (ZEB) Trial.
The government’s $20 million ZEB trial will inform the transition of around 4,000 diesel buses in the state’s public fleet, including around 2,200 in regional Victoria, to zero emissions. From 2025, all new buses on Victoria’s public transport routes will be zero emissions.
As part of the ZEB trial, bus operator Latrobe Valley Bus Lines (LVBL) has introduced regional Victoria’s first battery electric bus on routes in the Latrobe Valley. This is supported by the installation of a new charging station by Victorian-based infrastructure company Mondo at LVBL’s Traralgon depot, where the new electric bus will be based.
Latrobe Valley Bus Lines is one of six operators across Victoria taking part in the three-year ZEB trial, which will see 52 zero emission buses – 50 electric and two hydrogen – rolled out across Melbourne, Traralgon and Seymour.
Data collected will provide practical information such as how zero emission buses perform and the energy and charging requirements for different types of routes. It will also give insights into how the buses can improve financial and environmental sustainability.
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The trial is also fostering vital local industry partnerships – such as with energy providers and manufacturers – that will be needed to achieve the transition across the state. Almost all of the electric bus bodies in the trial will be built at Volgren’s Dandenong South manufacturing facility in Victoria, supporting local jobs and injecting money into the local economy.
Creating a greener fleet is part of Victoria’s Bus Plan to develop a modern and reliable network that attracts more passengers, with the new, greener buses critical to the Victorian government’s goal of net zero emissions by 2045.
“Tackling emissions in the bus industry is critical to Victoria meeting its new commitment of net zero emissions by 2045 and we have a plan to achieve that by investing in greener technologies and supporting local manufacturing,” Victorian public transport minister Ben Carroll says.
“We’re proud to be working alongside Latrobe Valley Bus Lines and the local bus industry to trial new greener technology in the region.”
Latrobe Valley Bus Lines general manager Cody Roxburgh says: “Latrobe Valley Bus Lines led the way for emerging technologies in the bus industry with its implementation of the first hybrid route service buses in Australia.”
“It is again at the forefront of pioneering new vehicle technology with the release of the first fully electric zero emission bus in regional Victoria.”