Transit Systems is pleased to announce it has placed Australia’s largest order of electric buses as part of the NSW Zero Emission strategy, with 31 buses set to arrive progressively at their Sydney depots from February 2021.

The order comes following the ongoing and successful electric bus trial with Transport for NSW (TfNSW), which has seen the fleet of four zero emission electric buses rack up more than 300,000 kilometres over 18 months.

Clint Feuerherdt, Group CEO of SeaLink Travel Group which owns Transit Systems, said creating zero emission public transport solutions is an absolute priority.

“We continue to benchmark the commitment of the Transport Minister in NSW, and the dedication of TfNSW in delivering more sustainable services to the community. There is no doubt they are leading the charge when it comes to delivering a zero-emission network”.

“It is incredibly rewarding to be part of a forward-thinking team, and we’re excited about the opportunities as we continue to progress with more sustainable transport solutions,” he said.

Mr Feuerherdt said that some drivers now prefer operating an electric bus, and customers have really enjoyed riding them.

“Some of the compliments we have received include that it was the most comfortable public transport journey they’d ever taken”.

“We have also received feedback that indicates customers would be more likely to travel on public transport knowing that it is an electric bus”.

“We commend the NSW Government on their vision and look forward to working with partners and suppliers to deliver more sustainable transport solutions across the globe,” he said.

The 31 new electric buses will be made by Nexport, BYD and Gemilang Australia.

Luke Todd, Managing Director of Nexport and Gemilang Australia who produce the buses, said that it is great to see the NSW Government commence large scale transition to zero emission public transport bus fleets.

“We are pleased to support Transit Systems – it has been a rewarding and enjoyable experience,” he said.   

ELECTRIC BUS PERFORMANCE RESULTS TO DATE

• The zero emission buses have the same geneal specfiction as existing two door city buses in Sydney

• After a full day of on-route service, which is generally between 150kms – 200 kms and around 11 – 12 hours in service, e-buses are returning to the depot with approximately 50% charge remaining in the batteries

• Buses have achieved up to 16 hrs in service time between charges with no issues

• Regenerative braking delivers around 30 - 40% additional charge to batteries in a day. This figure results from the local operating environment, which includes real driving conditions such as heavy traffic congestion, slow average speeds and stop start conditions.

• After experiencing the e-buses, they are generally favoured over diesel and CNG buses by drivers.