Locally manufactured hybrid school buses

Locally manufactured hybrid school buses drive SA transition to cleaner transport

Australian bus manufacturer BusTech (SA) has begun delivery of 20 new school buses, including 17 hybrid-electric vehicles, to meet increased demands on South Australian school bus routes.

With a hybrid chassis provided by Scania and the body manufactured by BusTech (SA) at its facility in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, the 20 new school buses will support the South Australian State Government’s commitment to providing school students with a safe, effective and reliable bus service. The milestone was celebrated on 20 August at Unley High School, with the State Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Corey Wingard, congratulating BusTech (SA) and Scania for delivering the first tranche of locally built school buses for South Australian students. “We want to provide the next generation of school students with a cleaner and greener public transport experience, especially as Year 7 transitions into public high schools from next year,” said Minister Wingard. “As an added bonus, our adoption of the Scania Hybrid for the Adelaide Metro fleet is also creating jobs for South Australians as it has led to an increase in the number of employees at BusTech (SA) dedicated to bus body-building.” The partnership with BusTech (SA) and Scania to build the additional hybrid models for use on school routes is part of a shared goal to deliver commercially sustainable transport solutions for customers across Australia. “BusTech Group continues to work closely with State Governments and operators to transition diesel fleets to lower-emission solutions and ultimately zero-emission solutions, which will significantly benefit the local environment and public health,” said Christian Reynolds, Executive Chairman of BusTech Group. “These new hybrid-battery buses built in Adelaide for Adelaide are an important step in achieving cleaner and more sustainable public transport options for South Australians.” The first three of the new hybrid buses have already rolled off the production line with the remainder, including three articulated buses, to be delivered by the end of 2021. These new buses will help to meet demand as a significant number of extra students start attending secondary schools due to the transition of Year 7 into high school in Term 1 of 2022. A cleaner, quieter journey

Late last year, BusTech (SA) delivered two hybrid-electric buses, built in partnership with Scania, to service the South Australian O-Bahn network. These hybrid buses were the first of their kind in South Australia and have proven to significantly reduce carbon emissions along the O-Bahn bus route.

BusTech onboard for Gold Coast e-bus rollout

The Queensland Government has announced a plan to build 16 new electric buses on the Gold Coast as part of its commitment to rollout more zero emissions vehicles on the state’s roads. The $15.6m deal with Keolis Downer, Australia’s largest private provider of public transport, will also create the state’s first 100% electric bus depot in North Lakes. Keolis Downer CEO David Franks said: “With this project, we are also encouraging local manufacturing through our partnership with BusTech Group. BusTech Queensland will manufacture the 16 Australiandesigned and engineered electric buses in their facility in the Gold Coast, bringing more than $17m of estimated value into the economy for local suppliers, contractors and local job creation.” Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the deal would play an important part in Queensland’s COVID-19 economic recovery plan: “This deal will see the largest rollout of electric buses in Queensland to date. These buses will be built right here in Queensland, at BusTech on the Gold Coast.” Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the agreement was not only a win for local commuters and the environment, but for the Queensland manufacturing sector too: “The investment to make the North Lakes depot fully electric and build these buses on the Gold Coast is expected to support 150 jobs over the next two years. It’s also expected to bring more than $17m of estimated value into the economy for local suppliers, contractors, which is the kind of investment we need right now.” BusTech Group Executive Chairman Christian Reynolds said the company was excited to be involved in the project: “BusTech Group is delighted to partner with Keolis Downer to deliver Australian designed, engineered and manufactured zeroemission buses with the most energy dense battery solution. Manufactured in Queensland, BusTech’s all-electric ZDi is built with the highest local content of any electric bus available on the Australian market. “These 16 new electric buses will provide Queensland with cleaner, quieter transport whilst also supporting employment opportunities, the local supply chain, the renewables industry and generating lasting economic benefits.” The new buses, which will use 100% renewable energy and be zero emission, will be built on the Gold Coast by Queensland bus manufacturer BusTech. The first bus is due to arrive at the North Lakes depot in September 2022, ahead of all 16 being ready for service by late 2023.

The hybrid buses can switch to electric drive when idled at bus stops or in school zones. When these buses are in electric mode, they do not produce any tailpipe emissions and make very little noise, giving schoolchildren a much more pleasant commute to school. “The batteries recharge whilst driving, allowing buses to automatically alternate between electric and diesel modes which means they are more fuel-efficient and have lower exhaust fumes than traditional school buses.” explains Gregg Dinning, Chief Technical Officer of BusTech Group. “The Scania drivetrain technology for these hybridelectric buses has been proven to cut diesel consumption and emissions by up to 25% per vehicle. The buses can operate without harmful emissions and noise, particularly in areas with a high level of pedestrian traffic, such as schools.” Locally built with the highest Australian content

The production of these 20 new buses at BusTech Group’s Adelaide facility is a testament to the advanced technical, engineering and manufacturing expertise within South Australia. “It’s vital that we demonstrate to our school children that we can manufacture vehicles in Australia, and we don’t need to be net importers of technology,” says Reynolds. “Making as many school buses as we can in Australia is a great way to do that.” Being 100% Australian-owned and employing over 250 staff Australia-wide, BusTech Group is passionate about sourcing and harnessing local manufacturing and engineering capabilities to design and build its products. “Through engaging a local supply chain and building these buses in Adelaide, rather than importing buses from overseas, we significantly decrease our carbon footprint while also generating compounded employment and economic benefits through the supply chain far greater than the manufacture of these 20 buses,” Reynolds adds. Zero-emission school buses

BusTech Group wants to see all school buses one day mirror the transition happening in public transport more broadly. Electric school buses can lead to long-term savings for schools and companies that provide school transportation services. Electricity is less expensive than diesel fuel and when combined with the reduction in maintenance costs, the total cost of ownership of electric school buses can be reduced over their useful life. “We see the hybrid-electric buses as part of the transition roadmap to zero-emissions transport solutions,” Reynolds says. “Ultimately, we want to see all students travelling to school on zero-emission transport, and we are keen to partner with operators and governments to help them with the technology that best fits their needs.” www.bustechgroup.com.au

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