Nexport's new division will specialise in helping bus and coach operators along their zero-emissions transition journey
Nexport has always sought to differentiate itself from other heavy vehicle manufacturers in Australia.
Whether it be by unveiling a fleet of buses and coaches that use the latest in battery electric technology or by focusing on safety features outside of the vehicle, Nexport has never been idle in its journey towards a zero-emissions transport offer for Australian operators.
It’s now taking its solutions to the next level with the recent launch of its new division, GoZero.
Nexport and GoZero chief commercial officer Dan Porter says this latest announcement is pivotal for Nexport’s long-term goal of supplying a total ecosystem of electric bus assets, infrastructure and applications.
“We found time and again when talking to customers that they didn’t see how Nexport could be truly agnostic as an OEM and that was our starting point,” Porter told ABC.
“We knew we needed a strong methodology to bring the components of the zero-emissions operating platform together into a consortium model that acts as the end-to-end partner for operators.
“Our goal is to make the transition to zero-emissions fleets easier for operators in a way that gives them more flexibility to bring in the various partners they need for their business.”
The market feedback helped to create GoZero, a business that positions itself as a completely vendor agnostic integrator of zero-emissions solutions for Australian operators looking to make the switch to sustainable transport.
Porter says GoZero is committed to working in deep partnerships with operators, sharing their KPIs, risks, penalties and successes.
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“We don’t do it and then leave – for us it will be a long-term partnership,” he says.
GoZero plans to work with operators to ensure the vehicles they chose are suitable for the tasks they are needed for, before helping the operator to select the right infrastructure and applications to complement their new zero-emissions fleets.
Porter says Nexport’s rich operational experience will be critical to GoZero’s initial launch, enabling it to draw on a combination of charging and vehicle companies to build a point of difference for operators wanting to switch their fleets.
GoZero will then begin to help operators to develop their own ecosystem – a term Porter uses to describe the entire sphere of chargers, assets, vehicles, applications and devices they will need if they are to successfully transition depots and fleets to zero-emissions.
“Our suggestions and proposals as a partner will be all about finding the right mix for the operator throughout their journey,” Porter says.
“The ecosystems we will create will include many building blocks such as deep operational analysis, energy provision, engineering and procurement, construction, assets, aftersales and financing.
“GoZero seeks to pull all of this together to make the transition easier for operators. We won’t offer it all ourselves, we’ll work side-by-side with operators to build a platform that includes a variety of brands and solutions.”
This ecosystem will be a menagerie of bus and coach products, with various companies and systems being combined to create the best value offering for an operator on their zero-emissions journey.
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| Dan Porter |
Although it’ll be a brand agnostic company, Porter says GoZero will continue working with Nexport to develop new products and solutions that operators ask for through GoZero partnerships.
It’s a thorough business offer for GoZero, with Porter saying the past 12 to 18 months has been spent talking to operators in a variety of sectors to learn what GoZero can do to help the Australian bus and coach industry. A mixture of charter and public transport companies, combined with logistics operators and industrial contractors, have liaised with GoZero to help build a company that focuses on the wider zero-emissions challenges with operators.
“Our conversations over recent times show we need to be flexible and agnostic – we know that no one size fits all,” Porter says.
“We’ll operate with what works best for each operator, allowing Nexport to focus on the development of electric buses and coaches while GoZero becomes the perfect partner for the operators.”
GoZero has been busy hiring a wide team of experts with a range of backgrounds, varying from OEM companies to industry titans with industrial and operational experience.
Porter says the company’s ability to draw on this experience enables it to develop a deep understanding of the needs of its operator partners and to custom build and design the ecosystem that will serve them best.
At this point, Porter says Nexport staff will help by working across GoZero too, with the eventual goal being to separate the two companies so Nexport can be a pure passenger asset brand OEM while GoZero investigates the zero-emissions transition side of the equation.
The key to this approach at all stages will be the flexibility of both Nexport and the newly founded GoZero.
“Where we need to build locally for local content, for financial sense or customer requirements, we’ll engage with Nexport to build fully in Australia,” Porter says.
“Where we don’t need to, we’ll use our global supply chain to find the right products for customers and use manufacturers to build this.
“It’ll be all about the operator’s choice – whatever they want, we’ll then go and get it for them and add it into their ecosystem for the transition.”
To put a detailed value proposition simply, GoZero is intent on making the zero-emissions transition for operators easier by being a knowledgeable partner that will follow every step of the journey with them.
It’s an offering that’s based on the belief that moving to a zero-emissions bus and coach platform is fundamentally cheaper nowadays and can also make for better services and more efficient processes.
Following the launch of GoZero last month, the business is in talks with public transport operators to establish contracts while it’s also having conversations with operators in a variety of locations and sectors.
As is the way with most parts of this newly formed division, Porter says its approach to partnerships will be all about flexibility.
“While we have these discussions, we’re also seeing opportunities to work more in the charter space, where operators have more control over their own destiny,” Porter says.
“The foundation of GoZero proves it’s an exciting time to be an operator. As they make the transition to zero-emissions, we have a proposition for them that will make it easier to make the transition by being a valued partner along the journey.”