In a
major milestone for the transition to zero-emission public transport in Western
Australia, the first electric bus to be manufactured as part of a joint $250
million Australian and Western Australian Government initiative has now been
completed.
The Australian
Government has committed $125 million toward electric bus charging
infrastructure in Perth, combined with a $125 million commitment from the Western
Australian Government for the acquisition of 130 locally manufactured electric
buses.
The
electric bus was built and manufactured locally at the Volgren facility in
Malaga, in Perth's north.
The
investment will also include the installation of charging infrastructure at key
depots and major upgrades to manufacturing facilities to support the future
production of electric buses.
The
bus is now undergoing testing and commissioning and is expected to enter
services in the next two months.
The
new bus will be one of 18 electric buses used on the CBD CAT bus routes, with a
$1.65 million contract recently awarded JET Charge Pty Ltd to install charging
infrastructure at the Elizabeth Quay Bus Station.
All
18 new electric CAT buses are expected to be in service by the middle of next
year, with each bus able to travel up to 300 kilometres on a single charge.
Analysis
undertaken by the Western Australian Government shows the cost to operate an
electric bus across its 18-year service life is around $1 million less than the
current diesel buses.
The
delivery of the first full fleet of electric buses comes after a trial of four
electric buses began in the Joondalup area, in northern Perth, in February 2022.
All
four electric buses are still in service, operating from the Joondalup Bus
Depot using a high-voltage EV charging system to power the buses.
Since
the trial began, they've carried more than 440,000 passengers and covered more
than 380,000 kilometres, saving about 350 tonnes of carbon dioxide
emissions in the process.
The
investment to deliver the new electric bus fleet in Western Australia is directly
supporting more than 100 local jobs, including nine apprenticeships.
Volgren
has been building Transperth buses at its Malaga facility since 1999, with more
than 2,200 manufactured and delivered over that time.
Staff
have also undertaken specialised high-voltage technical training in recent weeks
to prepare them for the growing electric bus fleet.
Quotes attributable to Western Australian
Premier Roger Cook:
"Under our Labor Government, we're building WA's clean energy future
right here in WA.
"In partnership with the Federal Labor Government, we're delivering the
next generation of electric buses, locally built in our northern suburbs.
"It means we're cutting emissions, busting congestion and providing
affordable public transport while creating local jobs and building our skilled
workforce for the future."
Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine
King:
"The Australian Government is investing in a
future made in Australia. Perth's economy will be boosted for years to come
from this funding partnership with the Western Australian Government which supports
jobs and local manufacturing.
"We're partnering with the Western Australian
Government to deliver sustainable and cost-effective transport options to improve
services and travel times for public transport users in Perth."
Quotes attributable to Western Australian Transport
Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Not only are these buses
cleaner and better for the environment, they're also cheaper to operate than
the current diesel buses.
"The fact that four electric
buses being trialled in Joondalup have saved 350 tonnes of carbon dioxide
emissions while carrying more than 440,000 passengers in just two years, shows
why this technology is considered the future of bus travel in cities all around
the world.
"The joint investment by our
Government and the Albanese Labor Government is not just about the delivery of
new electric buses, it's about ensuring our manufacturing facilities, depots
and bus stations have the infrastructure to support a future bus fleet that is
fully electric."
Quotes
attributable to Federal Member for Perth Patrick Gorman:
"Electric
buses for Perth will make our community cleaner and more sustainable.
"The
strong partnership with the Australian and West Australian governments is
building the charging network to transition to a fully electric fleet. This is
a national investment that delivers on Perth's local values.
"As
the Federal Member for Perth, I back Australia's manufacturing industry that is
building electric buses right here in WA."
Quotes
attributable to Federal Member for Cowan Anne Aly:
"This is a big win for the
people in my electorate of Cowan thanks to the Australian and Western
Australian Labor governments, who have partnered to provide a sustainable and
cost-effective public transport solution including the local manufacture of
electric buses.
"Rolling out this new electric
bus fleet means a range of benefits for public transport users in Perth,
including lower running costs and less greenhouse gas emissions than diesel and
natural gas-powered models."
Quotes attributable to State Member for Perth
John Carey:
"The
CBD CAT service is an incredibly important part of the transportation mix
available in our inner-city, with the Government making significant investments
in recent years to expand services to more areas and later in the evening.
"Shifting
the CAT bus services to fully electric is another important way we are
enhancing the service – both environmentally and economically."
13 JUNE 2024
