Tranzit Coachlines has released the first electric bus for the Taupō Connector service thanks to a partnership with the Waikato regional and Taupō district councils.
Tranzit says the new electric bus will be cleaner, quieter and emissions free and features a distinctive blue livery that can carry up to 56 passengers.
The new bus will be operated by and charged at Tranzit’s Taupō depot. Other features include a 281 kWh battery that gives it a range of approximately 300km and USB chargers throughout.
The bus was formally blessed by Reverend Pace Mitchell at a special launch held at the Taupō Visitor Information Centre last month.
Taupō mayor David Trewavas, along with Tranzit Group managing director Paul Snelgrove, officially cut the ribbon before the bus took invited guests on a short trip around the lakeside town.
Trewavas says the new bus will be a fantastic addition to the district’s public transport network.
“The 33 Connector service is a great way to get around and with the new electric bus it just got even better,” Trewavas says.
“This is a great initiative by the Taupō District Council in partnership with the Waikato Regional Council and, because the new bus ca
n also carry bicycles, it works really well with our fantastic shared pathway and cycling network.”
Tranzit Coachlines central manager Connor Mear says his team is proud to be introducing Taupō’s first electric bus and continuing Tranzit’s journey of decarbonising public transport beyond New Zealand’s major centres.
“Based on our experiences of introducing electric buses into Wellington, Auckland and Palmerston North, we are confident passengers in Taupō will enjoy a smoother, quieter journey and feel good about catching the bus,” Mear says.
“It’s also great to partner with the councils who are taking steps towards transitioning to a sustainable bus fleet in this beautiful part of the central North Island.”
Snelgrove says that even though the family-owned NZ company’s history goes back almost 100 years, its foray into electric buses began in 2014 when it started researching the best way to transition its fleet of diesel buses to zero-emissions.
Since introducing the first electric bus into New Zealand in 2018, Snelgrove says that Tranzit operates 46 electric buses in the North Island today and has significantly invested in charging infrastructure.