New Zealand public transport operator Ritchies has entered into a major partnership with Zenobē to expand its electric bus fleet and develop new charging infrastructure across Auckland. The collaboration will see Ritchies’ number of electric buses increase fivefold, alongside the construction of six new depots in West and South Auckland.
According to Zenobē, the rollout will take place over the next nine months, beginning with the opening of the first new depot on 2 November 2025. Additional facilities are planned to be completed between now and August 2026.
See also: Zenobe Launches 35 Electric School Buses in Massachusetts With Public-Private Partners
The company will be directly involved in designing and building the depots, while also implementing its Battery as a Service (BaaS) model. Under this system, Zenobē will finance and manage the lifecycle of batteries used in Ritchies’ fleet.
Procurement for the project has already begun, with Zenobē’s New Zealand team overseeing both the construction of charging sites and the delivery of vehicles. The two companies previously worked together to introduce 11 Yutong E10 electric buses in Dunedin, marking one of the earliest large-scale EV bus deployments in the country.
See also: Zenobē Secures €325 Million to Support 1,000 Electric Buses and Chargers Across Europe
“Through this partnership with Ritchies, we’re not only deploying one of the country’s largest electric bus fleets but also investing in local capability and infrastructure to ensure this transition is successful, scalable, and lasting,” said Gareth Ridge, Zenobē’s country director for Australia and New Zealand. “We’re proud to help set a new benchmark for sustainable public transport in Aotearoa.”
