'The way of the future': Dunedin trials first electric bus
Tuesday, 28 September 2021
An electric bus is being trialled in one of the country’s hilliest cities.
A month-long trial of the Enviroline 35-seater, which is made in New Zealand by Global Bus Ventures, began in Dunedin on Tuesday.
The electric bus will be part of the diesel-powered Orbus fleet, and will be used on selected routes, including some that traverse the city’s hill suburbs.
Otago Regional Council Regional transport committee chair Cr Alexa Forbes said the trial came as the council considered its carbon emission responsibilities.
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“Private transport is a major source of emissions, and we need our buses to be efficient as well as convenient, inexpensive and reliable,” she said.
“While the best way for us to reduce private transport emissions is to get more people riding the buses, it’s also important to ensure the fleet itself is modern and clean.”
She hoped the arrival of the electric bus would encourage more people to travel by bus.
Go Bus transport chief operating officer Nigel Piper said electric buses were a smoother and quieter travel option and were “the way of the future”.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing how the feasibility trial goes and hearing what Dunedin Orbus passengers think of the e-bus.”
Global Bus Ventures executive vice president Mike Parker said the Enviroline e-bus was significantly better for the environment than standard diesel buses.
“Electric buses are a key part of the decarbonising of the transport sector, as they offer a zero-emission solution and take advantage of the high level of renewable electricity generated in New Zealand.
“Electric buses are ideal for city travel as they offer quiet smooth acceleration and thrive on the start-stop conditions where they use regenerative braking to recover the kinetic energy and put it back into the batteries, making then more efficient.”
The regional council would collect feedback from passengers during the trial.
The scheme comes as central government policy requires all fossil-fuelled buses to be replaced by 2035, and no new fossil-fuelled buses to be introduced from 2025.