In May, Victoria’s first locally built, fully electric bus commenced operation on Route 903 as part of a trial between Transdev Melbourne and the Department of Transport.
As part of phase three of the trial, the electric bus began operating the 86-kilometer route between Altona and Mordialloc which was selected to provide valuable data about how the bus performs in a variety of different traffic conditions.
Route 903, known as an orbital route, allows passengers in Melbourne’s middle and outer suburbs to travel across the city without travelling into the CBD. The orbital routes are among the longest urban bus routes in the southern hemisphere.
Transdev is committed to identifying cleaner transport options which have a positive impact on the environment and local communities. This trial is demonstrating the benefits of zero emission buses and providing valuable local insights about how this technology can be scaled up to operate zero emission bus fleets.
Rachel Spencer, Interim Managing Director at Transdev Melbourne
Recently, the Victorian Government announced that from 2025 all new public transport bus purchases will be zero emission buses. The data gathered during this trial will be instrumental in the development of future bus fleet procurement strategies as the State moves towards reducing carbon emissions in the transport sector.
The electric bus was built locally by Volgren in Dandenong, supporting local jobs and manufacturing. Up to 87% of content used in Volgren buses is local, with the manufacturing process sourcing parts from approximately 80 local suppliers.
In March this year, Transdev accelerated its zero-emission vision in Australia by taking delivery of four new electric buses which have are now operating in New South Wales and Queensland.
The Victorian trial will continue until 31 October 2021.