After launching new electric school buses in Deniliquin and Queanbeyan, Transport for NSW (Transport) are continuing its regional trials, with new buses hitting the road in north west NSW.
A new battery electric bus will join school bus runs around Narrabri, servicing Carinya Christian School, St Marys College, Gunnedah High School and G S Kidd Memorial School.
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An additional new zero emission bus has also been added to the fleet in Armidale, taking commuters and school students to and from 13 Armidale and Uralla primary and high schools.
The new additions come as part of Transport’s $25 million project to run a series of trials of ZEBs across the state’s regions.
Transport for NSW Coordinator-General Howard Collins says the trials are testing how these vehicles perform in real-world conditions.
“We’re paving the way for greener, quieter, and more efficient bus travel for the future, not just in cities, but in regional areas as well,” Collins says.
The new bus in Narrabri is supplied by Vehicle Dealers International (VDI) and will be operated by CDC.
CDC regional Australia division general manager NSW Andrew Fogg says the trial of this 28-passenger capacity bus provides an exciting opportunity to explore how these innovative buses can shape the future of sustainable transport, especially in regional communities.
“Early data from the first few months of the trials shows these buses use less battery power per trip than expected, which has promising implications for their reliability and efficiency in regional areas,” Fogg says.
Armidale’s new bus has been supplied by Nexport and will be operated by Edwards Coaches.
“We are ecstatic to have more ZEBs in our area. We’ve had such great success since the start of the first trial in May and we are really looking forward to getting more feedback during this second phase,” Edwards Coaches’ depot manager James Cross says.
Nexport and Go Zero Group managing director Stephen Cartwright OAM says he is pleased to see more ZEBs in Armidale.
“Increasing the ZEB fleet is a great step forward,” Cartwright says.
“Now even more of Armidale’s community can get to enjoy the cleaner, greener, quieter benefits of electric buses. People will be able to breathe a little easier with these buses in operation.”
Bus trials are also underway this school term in Deniliquin and Queanbeyan, where three buses in each location are also being put into service to test their performance against the elements and the challenges of real-world operation.
The latest launch means a total of 12 vehicles are being trialled for 18 months, across regional NSW, bringing the transition of the state’s regional bus fleet to zero emissions a step closer.
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