Metlink, the public transport provider for Wellington, New Zealand, has added 16 new battery-electric buses (BEBs) to its fleet, replacing 10 older diesel models.
This expansion brings the total number of electric buses in the fleet to 119, marking a significant step towards Metlinkās 2030 goal of full electrification. With the addition of these buses, Metlinkās fleet is now 25 percent electrified.
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The new BEVs will be in service by the end of April and will operate on several routes around the city, including route 2 and route 4, which will now be fully electric. The timing coincides with Metlinkās quarterly bus timetable update. āThe aim is for all 16 buses to be in service by the end of April, making a noticeable difference to noise and pollution, as we continue to drive down our carbon emissions and work towards the electrification of all core bus routes by 2030,ā said Greater Wellington transport chair Thomas Nash.
Nash also highlighted the progress in air quality improvements, noting, āAbout a third of the kilometers travelled by Metlink buses are now powered by electricity instead of fossil fuels, and this has been a major factor in the increase of air quality on central city streets like Manners, Willis, and Lambton Quay, where noxious fumes have dropped markedly in the last couple of years.ā
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The buses are owned by Metlinkās operator, Kinetic, which operates a fleet of 56 BEVs across Greater Wellington and also runs services in other parts of New Zealand, Australia, and London. A report by the government of Greater Wellington revealed that CO2 emissions from the bus network have reduced in proportion to the increase in service kilometers traveled by electric buses, which accounted for 27 percent of total fleet kilometers in 2023/2024.