Thirty-seven new electric buses will be added to Dunedin’s public transport network under two long-term contracts awarded by the Otago Regional Council (ORC) to Australian-based bus operator Kinetic, as New Zealand accelerates the shift toward zero-emission public transport.
The contracts, valued at a combined NZ$100 million, will run for nine years from October 2026 and will be delivered under Kinetic’s Go Bus brand. The additional vehicles will increase Dunedin’s Kinetic-operated electric bus fleet to 53 units, strengthening the city’s progress toward full fleet electrification.
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Kinetic operates across Australia and New Zealand and also has transport businesses in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. The group has invested heavily in electric fleet infrastructure, operating more than 1,500 zero-emission buses across 33 electrified depots globally, including Australasia’s largest all-electric bus depot in Auckland.
Kinetic Group chief executive Michael Sewards said the Dunedin expansion reflects the company’s long-term commitment to zero-emission transport. “We don’t just operate contracts – we invest in the depots, charging infrastructure and fleet needed to make zero-emission transport possible,” he said.
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In New Zealand alone, Kinetic operates 355 zero-emission vehicles nationwide, according to the company. Calum Haslop, managing director of Kinetic New Zealand, said the new contracts would build on that position.
“This contract allows us to build on that leadership, with 37 new electric buses joining our existing Dunedin fleet from October 2026,” Haslop said. “By the time these buses enter service, we’ll be operating 53 zero-emission buses in Dunedin, supporting ORC’s goal of a fully zero-emission fleet by 2028.”
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Haslop added that the operator’s existing electric services in Dunedin have already received positive feedback from both passengers and drivers, and that the company expects to extend those benefits across a wider portion of the network as the fleet grows.
The Otago Regional Council has said the new contracts are aligned with its broader transport and climate objectives, including reducing emissions from urban mobility while maintaining service quality and coverage.
