After operating for nearly 100 years, it would be easy to forgive Ventura if it didn’t participate in new energy trials. But the operator is leading the charge in Victoria as it prepares to unveil the state’s first all-electric converted bus depot.
When the Victorian government called for operators to engage in electric depot transitions, it was a no-brainer for Ventura to put its collective hand up. Always looking to trial new technology and master various ways of delivering bus services, the operator was interested in seeing how electric charging could revolutionise some of its depots.
A year and a half later, Ventura is already preparing to open Victoria’s first all-electric bus depot after completely redesigning its Ivanhoe facility.
“Our electric journey first started when we purchased an electric bus to get a feel for the zero-emissions change,” Ventura managing director Andrew Cornwall told ABC. “We’ve had the bus in service for a year now and it’s performed so well that we have confidence in ordering another 12 electric buses.
“The process then started for us to begin upgrading our infrastructure and it resulted in this all-electric depot.”
Ventura’s Ivanhoe depot has been completely revamped. The previously diesel-powered facility has been converted into a fully electric powered depot.
The first step for Ventura was selecting the appropriate electric buses for the trial.
After analysing capital investment and other key factors, Ventura chose to operate 13 Volgren and BYD battery electric buses in the first phase of the trial that will be operating by the end of March, with a further 14 buses to be manufactured and operational by January 2024.
Cornwall says a major benefit of the converted Ivanhoe depot is the data and information it’ll provide Ventura as it moves forward in its electric journey.
“The Ivanhoe trial allows us to go one step further than estimating battery range on vehicle kilometres and run time alone,” Cornwall says.
“By utilising advanced telematics, we’ll be able to understand how other factors such as passenger loading, topography and temperature play a role in calculating battery electric range so we can share these learnings prior to the larger post-2025 transition.”
These buses and their advanced technology will form a key part of the converted Ivanhoe depot. Cornwall says Ventura has multiple teams that are looking after the depot project, including groups that study fleets, analyse logistics and the infrastructure of the site.
The different groups meet regularly to look at different opportunities throughout the depot’s construction.
When it came to infrastructure, Ventura chose Zenobe for the installation, based on their recent experience in the UK as well as at New South Wales’s Leichhardt depot.
After choosing its electric infrastructure partner, Cornwall says Ventura had to overcome some site challenges before the conversion could begin.
“The Ivanhoe depot is a former service station, so it had some contamination we had to handle,” Cornwall says.
“There were some old kerosene and petroleum tanks we didn’t know were on the site, but we were able to remove them while still sticking to our schedule.”.
Cornwall credits Ventura business improvement manager and project manager Michael Howlett for keeping the project moving to meet deadlines.
“He’s like a dog with a bone with this trial,” Cornwall says. “He’s worked in our best interests – we’re not afraid to get the best economical outcome and he’s helped us challenge the decisions of our partners to get a better result for everyone.”
Cornwall says this tenacity will be worthwhile as Ventura fights for cleaner depots.
Ventura has made a conscious decision to purchase green electricity despite the premiums that may be attached to it. This will ensure that the Ivanhoe trial will purely run as a zero-emissions depot after Ventura found accredited GreenPower energy sellers to source electricity from.
“The accreditation of the seller gives us great confidence that we’re paying for and sourcing green energy,” Cornwall says.
As Ventura has progressed along its electric depot conversion, Cornwall says the trial has given the community and his staff opportunities to test electric technology. It’s helped Ventura pick up minor changes, such as adapting to additional weight above the steer axle in the new electric models. Cornwall expects the learnings to improve Ventura’s fleet in the coming years while also making his drivers better equipped to drive electric buses.
On the precipice of officially operating the electric depot, Cornwall says three factors are critical to completing a successful zero-emissions transition.
“The first is to make sure you purchase the right bus that will last you for 20 years and then get the right infrastructure that suits your space,” Cornwall says. “From there, it’s all about using the right telematics to ensure the 20-year journey for a bus goes smoothly.”
Cornwall says Ventura is excited about the upcoming completion of its Ivanhoe depot. Under the trial agreement with the state government, Ventura will then move onto transitioning its Pakenham depot into an all-electric space before redeveloping its Lilydale facility.
Cornwall’s dream is that Ventura becomes the leader of transitioning various depots.
“Ventura is proud of what we have achieved to make this dream a reality,” Cornwall says
“Ventura celebrates our 100-year anniversary next year – it’s taken us 100 years to perfect diesel buses and now we’re excited for the next challenge.”