Next Generation Electric Bus Depot
- $5m Funded by ARENA
- $37.21m Total project cost
Summary
The Next Generation Electric Bus Depot by Transgrid and Zenobe Energy will deliver a next generation electric bus depot showcasing 40 electric buses coupled with smart charging software, on-site solar PV and battery storage in Sydney’s inner west.
Need
There is limited understanding and knowledge of the best and most effective way to transition a large fleet of heavy vehicles, stagnating the government’s and private operators’ efforts to decarbonise. This project provides the Australian public transport sector with a commercial and technical blueprint to solve some of the most critical issues facing large-scale fleet electrification, being the impact on the grid and the management of assets.
The project showcases how to make the best of mature technology to mitigate grid upgrades, grid impacts and ensure operational uptime of critical public transport services.
Learn more
Report: RouteZero: User Guide and Knowledge Sharing
This report is the user guide for working with the RouteZero tool which provides insights into the feasibility of electrifying bus routes around Australia.
Report: Next Generation Electric Bus Depot Lessons Learnt 1
This report contains key lessons learned during the development and inital construction phase of the Next Generation Electric Bus Depot at Leichhardt, Sydney.
Media Release: Electric bus depot trial hitting the road in Leichhardt
ARENA announced funding to support the pilot deployment of Australia’s largest electric bus fleet consisting of 40 electric buses, charging infrastructure and a retrofitted bus depot in Leichhardt in Sydney’s inner west.
Action
The project will deploy 40 battery electric city buses and the corresponding charging infrastructure, including:
- 36 electric chargers (AC & DC)
- Solar PV on the depot’s roof
- On-site battery storage system to support bus charging and reduce grid upgrade requirements
- Market-leading smart charging software to manage the fleet and all depot electrical assets
- Innovative smart charging strategies to reduce impact on grid and guarantee fully charged buses
Outcome
The project aims to demonstrate how innovative financing models and technical solutions can help address cost and technological barriers to the supply and adoption of EV bus fleets in Australia.
The project intends to showcase and establish a business model that:
- allows capital items (e.g. charging and grid infrastructure) to be turned into a managed service which can be paid for by fuel and maintenance savings, and
- takes the risk off the operators, guaranteeing fully charged vehicles.
We expect to generate key learnings that can be applied to future bus electrification projects around the country, including challenges overcome, overall bus and depot performance, and end-of-life bus capabilities.
Additional impact
The project will stimulate the development of more large-scale bus electrification projects to support Transport for NSW’s mandate to electrify their 8,000 strong fleet by 2030.
Furthermore, the project will contribute to the reduction of noise pollution around the Leichhardt bus depot area and significantly reduce the carbon emissions of the bus fleet operating in Sydney’s Region 6.
ARENAWIRE Blogs
New electric buses roll out on Sydney streets
The buses will be charged by solar panels installed on the roof of a depot in Sydney’s inner-west.
