Kinetic New Zealand has announced the debut of the country’s very-first lightweight electric double-decker bus.
Developed as part of a strategic between Kinetic and Geely; the new vehicle is set to enter trial service with Environment Canterbury.
The vehicle is the country’s first electric double-decker to meet weight compliance without the need for a permit, and was built leveraging Volvo’s research & development and safety standards.
Calum Haslop, Managing Director, Kinetic New Zealand, said:This is a game-changer for zero-emission public transport in New Zealand.
By partnering with Geely, we’ve created a vehicle that doesn’t just meet New Zealand’s regulatory standards, it exceeds them. This is what happens when global expertise meets local innovation. It’s lighter, safer, smarter to charge, and designed for the unique challenges of our cities.
The build utilises aerospace-grade aluminium technology, much like the material used in the Airbus A380, which allows it to offer both a stronger and lighter frame than a traditional steel body.
Development of the vehicle was carried out across an intensive 18-month period, during which a set of four prototypes were built in order to refine performance, safety and compliance for conditions in New Zealand.
The project was backed by 6 million USD of R&D investment.
Kayne Bass, Executive General Manager, Electrification (ANZ), who led the Kinetic project team, said:The speed of innovation at Geely is astounding. As a partner they were incredibly responsive to feedback at every stage of the project. Each time we encountered an obstacle, or something didn’t quite work the way we expected, it became a learning and platform for high-velocity development.
We had a shared goal of accelerating New Zealand’s low-emissions public transport future, and the result will be transformational for public transport across our urban centres.
The new vehicle is set to enter service on metro routes in 2026.
