Six brand new battery electric buses entered operations in Melbourne earlier this month as part of the SkyBus fleet that runs 24/7 routes to and from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport.
The six new buses are built on the EVolution electric low-floor chassis from Chinese bus manufacturing giant, with a body built by New Zealand’s Global Bus Ventures and finished in Australia.
According to independent bus distributor Bus Stop Sales, the exclusive Australian distributor of King Long buses, the EVolution electric low-floor chassis measures 12.5 metres in length and boasts a top speed of 100km/h.
It uses CATL lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries and has delivers 350 or 422 kilowatts (kW) and a permanent magnet synchronous motor from American manufacturer Dana.
SkyBus, which is operated by Kinetic, Australasia’s largest and most extensive bus network, operates shuttle routes from the airport out to Melbourne CBD, to Frankston on the Mornington Peninsula, express transfers out to Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, and a run to Avalon Airport.
“SkyBus is one of the most demanding applications for passenger transport, with aroundthe-clock operations and the highest expectations for reliability,” said Pete White, managing director of Bus Stop Sales.
“For the King Long EVolution platform to be trusted in this environment sends a powerful message — that King Long delivers world-class technology with the performance and dependability Australian operators need. This is global leadership, delivered locally.”
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.