The first over-head gantry-charged electric bus depot in the state of Victoria has been opened , marking a significant milestone in the transition to zero-emission public transport in its capital city.
The new bus depot, located in the north-east Melbourne suburb of Preston, was built by Kinetic in partnership with the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning under the new Metropolitan Zero Emission Bus Franchise (MZF).
While not the first electric bus depot in Victoria – that one was opened in Ivanhoe back in September of 2024 – the Preston depot switches things up with the state’s first overhead gantry charging infrastructure, which Kinetic says is approximately 25 per cent more space-efficient than conventional charging infrastructure, therefore allowing the depot to maximise its bus capacity.
Unlike traditional ground-mounted charging systems, the overhead gantry design at Preston suspends charging equipment from an overhead gantry, with pull-down cable reels to connect buses to charge ports.
As the photos suggest, the gantry is located such that buses can pull up nose-to-tail to maximise charging space.
The Preston depot took learnings from Kinetic’s New Zealand operations, in particular the country’s first large-scale overhead gantry charging system at its Glenfield depot in Auckland.
“Preston is a prime example of how we’re turning that vision into reality – bringing global expertise and proven technology to deliver cleaner, quieter journeys for local communities,” said Michael Sewards, Kinetic Group CEO.
“We’re committed to investing in the infrastructure, technology and people needed to accelerate the shift to zero emissions transport across our global network.”
Kinetic now operates over 1,500 zero-emission buses across 33 ZEB depots worldwide.
The Preston depot’s first electric bus was delivered in December and entered passenger service last week. A total of 58 battery electric buses are set to be introduced progressively at the Preston bus depot over the coming years, transitioning to 100 per cent zero-emission within 10 years.
Preston is Kinetic’s fourth electric bus depot in Victoria and its 12th in Australia.
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.