The New South Wales government is to commit another $70 million to its planned transition of the state’s bus fleet to zero emissions technology, with a new order for 79 new electric buses to be built by Western Sydney-based company Custom Denning.
The plan to transition NSW’s 8,000-strong bus fleet was first announced in 2019, and is expected to have an increase of 5-10% on the state’s electricity demand.
The fleet is operated under contract by publicly and privately owned operators under 13 contracts servicing the Sydney metropolitan area. Premier Dominic Perrottet and NSW minister for transport and veterans David Elliott this week toured Custom Denning’s factory in St Mary’s. The 79 new buses are intended to operate in Sydney’s inner west.
This new order also pushes the total number of electric buses ordered by Transport NSW from Custom Denning to 101.
“The NSW Government’s commitment to transition the entire 8,000-plus bus fleet is supercharging jobs and manufacturing in Western Sydney,” said Elliott.
“Bus customers are already experiencing the benefits of electric buses from Penrith to Bondi, and we will continue to back local manufacturing.
Electric buses made by Custom Denning have been trialled around Sydney over the recent year, with the first operating in the Sydney suburb of Bondi earlier last year.
A second Custom Denning electric bus was spotted in operation late last year in Western Sydney, being trialed by Busways.
In June 2021, Volvo and TAFE announced a scheme to retrain motor mechanics in readiness for the transition to 100% electric buses.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.