The New South Wales Government has purchased 151 additional battery electric buses for operation in Sydney as part of its ongoing Zero Emission Buses programme.
The order brings the total number of new buses acquired since the March 2023 election to 921.
The latest vehicles will be built with more than 50 percent local manufacturing, with Australian firms such as Custom Denning in St Marys, Western Sydney, contributing to production.
Minister for Transport John Graham said:This latest investment in new buses has us on an express route to 1000 new buses since Labor came to government.
The build up of zero emission buses is happening in a staged and sustainable way, with the obvious benefits for the environment and air quality complemented by enhanced passenger comfort levels on these quieter, smoother buses.
Getting more buses on the road in a timely manner is our approach which is in stark contrast to the former government which did not buy a single articulated bus in 12 years and half their first purchase of electric buses were wholly made overseas.
The new buses will be allocated to the Leichhardt and Kingsgrove depots, both of which are being upgraded to support electric fleets. Eleven existing depots across Sydney are currently being converted for battery electric operations, while a new facility is under construction at Macquarie Park.
NSW has a fleet of more than 8,000 diesel and gas-powered buses. The Zero Emission Buses programme aims to transition this fleet to battery electric vehicles over the long term. More than 220 electric buses are already operating in Greater Sydney and Newcastle. The government expects around 1,700 battery electric buses to be in service in Sydney by 2028.
