Sydney will add 151 new battery-electric buses to its fleet after the New South Wales (NSW) Government placed a fresh order, bringing the total number of vehicles procured since March 2023 to 921.
The vehicles will be manufactured by Australian companies including Custom Denning in Western Sydney and deployed to the Leichhardt and Kingsgrove depots, both of which are being converted for electric operations. The new purchase follows a 319-bus order placed earlier this year. At the time, authorities had said no additional contracts were expected until 2026, but the timeline has now been accelerated.
The state’s Zero Emission Buses programme seeks to replace more than 8,000 diesel and gas buses with zero-emission models by 2047. Eleven depots are currently being upgraded, and a new facility in Macquarie Park is scheduled to begin construction in late 2025 to support around 165 electric buses. More than 220 battery-electric buses are already operating in Greater Sydney and Newcastle, a figure projected to reach about 1,700 by 2028.
Transport Minister John Graham said the expansion reflects the government’s staged approach to fleet transition. “This latest investment in new buses has us on an express route to 1,000 new buses since Labor came to government,” he said. “The build-up of zero-emission buses is happening in a staged and sustainable way, with the obvious benefits for the environment and air quality complemented by enhanced passenger comfort levels on these quieter, smoother buses.”
The new order also exceeds the government’s 50% local manufacturing target, aiming to support Australian industry while advancing electrification of public transport.
Source: nsw.gov.au, governmentnews.com.au