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LEADING MELBOURNE bus operator, Ventura, has added a battery electric bus to its fleet for the first time, taking delivery of the electric bus from long-time bus body builder Volgren.

The bus is a Volgren Optimus built on a BYD D9RA chassis and Ventura’s managing director, Andrew Cornwall, said the decision to choose the combination came after several years evaluating the current crop of BEBs.

“Ventura customers enjoy high levels of reliability and punctuality for their bus services, so it was critical that we chose a very dependable solution for our first battery electric bus.

“Ventura has been buying buses from Volgren for more than 20 years and we have built a very respectful partnership. Despite the challenges of COVID, Volgren has delivered. They’ve provided plenty of support and understanding with our maintenance team and driver trainers as we embark on this new technology,” Cornwall said.

David Burgess, general manager of fleet and maintenance for Ventura said investing in any new technology requires a strong customer focus.

“Our long-term relationship with Volgren gives us a high level of confidence to support such a long-term investment.

“The Volgren-BYD combination was a strong fit for Ventura’s transition into the BEB platform, due to its forward-thinking approach to ADR requirements and the training support needed to ensure we maximize efficiencies and minimise disruptions to the business,” Burgess said.

Yuri Tessari, Volgren’s National Sales Manager, said the delivery of Ventura’s first BEB was a great example of strong, long-standing partnerships working to deliver clean fleets.

Victorian Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll said the addition to Ventura’s fleet marked a milestone in the Government’s transition to zero-emissions buses as it was Victoria’s first permanent electric bus to hit the road.

Thiago Deiro, CEO of Volgren congratulated Ventura on the company’s first BEB and said the delivery was a reminder of Volgren’s capabilities and capacity to meet operators’ growing demand for zero-emission buses.

“We started with a single electric prototype in 2018. Three years later, we’re starting to see a higher volume of battery electric bus orders across all three of our factories in Australia. And some of that interest is coming from customers that until very recently weren’t even talking about e-buses.”

Deiro added that while manufacturing quality and after sales service are a central part of Volgren products’ appeal to the Australian market, the company’s commitment to local content and local jobs also sets it apart.

Ventura’s first BEB will be deployed at their Ivanhoe depot in Melbourne’s inner north and will operate on every route run from that depot, including LaTrobe University, Northland and Preston.

Cornwall said he hopes this BEB is the first of many to be deployed by Ventura over the next several years.

MERCEDES-BENZ Bus has announced it will introduce an electric bus chassis in Australia next year.

Benz revealed the zero local emission electric city bus chassis in Brazil recently and says that prototype buses, using the new electric chassis, are currently being tested in Germany and Brazil.

The company has announced the new Mercedes Benz electric city bus chassis will be available in Australia in the last quarter of 2022 and the Australian-specification electric chassis will have a range of more than 300km and will be able to be fully-charged in little more than three hours.

Mercedes Benz rival, Volvo is set to launch its first battery electric bus chassis this month with the prospect that two of the heaviest hitters in the local route bus market will both have all electric chassis coming to Australia in the near future.

Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific president and CEO, Daniel Whitehead, said that Australian customers will welcome an electric bus chassis from a brand they can trust.

“Daimler is proud to offer customers advanced electric solutions for trucks and buses that have been properly developed, tried and tested in order to deliver the class-leading quality and performance expected from our trusted brands,” he said.

“Our customers are excited about a Mercedes-Benz bus that emits zero local emissions and is perfect for operation both in the regions and cities and suburbs with high pedestrian density. We know the Mercedes-Benz electric city bus chassis will deliver exactly what they have asked for,” Daniel Whitehead added.

As part of its electric bus chassis package, MercedesBenz says it will also offer a consultancy service to help customers with everything required to integrate the new vehicles into their existing fleet including energy supply, battery recharge infrastructure and fleet operation planning.

The company added that the electric bus chassis product will also be supported by the Mercedes-Benz dealership network that spans the country.

The electric city bus chassis is a low-floor model suitable for locally-made bodies up to 13.2 metres long, with the electric motor integrated into the rear axle, with an EBS electronic braking and energy recovery system incorporated into the driveline.

The company added that the electric bus chassis development was led by Mercedes-Benz in Brazil, where it will be built for the Latin America, Europe and Oceania markets.

THE DECISION by the Victorian Department of Transport decision to award Melbourne’s franchise bus fleet to operator Kinetic will see bus builder Volgren, will create 50 new jobs to service the new contract.

Victoria’s minister for transport, Ben Carroll announced Kinetic, which already operates the SkyBus Melbourne airport service, will take control of Melbourne’s 537-strong fleet of public transport buses.

As part of the deal Kinetic will introduce five Volgren battery electric buses (BEBs) into the city’s network by June next year and by mid-2025 says it will have introduced 36 BEBs, plus more than 100 Volgren-bodied hybrid buses.

Thiago Deiro, CEO of Volgren, said the Department of Transport’s decision to prioritise green transport would help reduce emissions, and that by promoting local content the Victorian Government were supporting Australian manufacturing and Victorian job creation.

Victorian Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll said the new franchise was a significant development in Victoria’s transition to zero-emissions buses, accelerating the government’s plans for all new public transport buses to be zero emissions from 2025.

Deiro said that when you buy a Volgren Australian-bodied bus, you are buying more than just a bus. Volgren’s buses maximise operator value overtime through quality, after sales, customer relationship and passenger experience.

“Australian manufacturing now offers the highest quality levels I’ve seen in the bus industry. That comes from Volgren’s advanced manufacturing capabilities combined with the exceptional quality of materials and components produced by our local supply chain.

Deiro said that Melbourne was home to some of the country’s best public transport operators and the decision to appoint one would not have been any easy task.

“We’re very happy for Kinetic. It’s a great achievement for them and we’re proud that they have selected us as their body supplier for this new era in Melbourne’s public transport system.

“I’d also like acknowledge our partnership with Transdev and the other operators who participated in the tender,” Thiago said.

Volgren has collaborated with Kinetic for almost two decades, delivering more than 30 buses for their SkyBus and Surfside operations.

“The Metropolitan e Bus Franchise represents a huge step for the Kinetic-Volgren partnership and we will make every effort to ensure this remains a successful alliance.

Deiro said that Volgren was well-prepared for Victoria’s transition to a low- and zeroemission bus fleet.

“All our factories are gearedup to start building BEBs at the scale required to meet the needs Australia’s shift to zero-emission technology.

“The Department of Transport’s decision is a great first step for Victoria. The new franchise arrangement, in addition to the zero-emission bus trials, will allow Kinetic and Volgren to deliver high volumes of BEBs to the streets of Melbourne. They will be tried and tested buses that Melburnians and visitors to the city will love to travel on.”

QUEENSLAND’S first all-electric bus depot will soon be a reality with major transport operator, Keolis Downer announcing it has selected Siemens to deliver eBus charging solutions to its new North Lakes depot in Brisbane.

The depot will be operational from September 2022 and in service from February 2023, and will be capable of powering 16 zero-emission buses serving more than 60,000 residents in Brisbane’s northern suburbs.

Keolis Downer said it will upgrade the North Lakes depot in partnership with the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads.

The Queensland Government has made a commitment that every new bus in South East Queensland will be zero emission from 2025 and that regional implementation will begin between 2025 and 2030.

Siemens said it will supply five Sicharge UC200 and 16 Sicharge UC Dispenser charging units capable of delivering a peak power output of 200kW. Siemens will also provide commissioning, spares, and preventative maintenance services for the depot, supporting the 100% electric bus fleet designed and built in Queensland by Australian manufacturers BusTech Group. “The flexibility of the Siemens Sicharge UC product family has enabled nations across the world to reap the benefits of electrified transport, with world-leading technology solutions providing local capability. Operators require flexible, robust and scalable solutions, and we are proud to see Keolis Downer choose Siemens technology to power Queensland’s largest eBus fleet,” Siemens Australia Pacific chairman and chief executive officer, Jeff Connolly, said

“Transport fleets are one of the largest sources of emissions in Australia, and the decarbonisation of transport is an important part of meeting net-zero emissions targets. As more bus networks move to embrace new full electric bus technology, electrical and charging infrastructure will need to scale to meet this demand and ensure the seamless movement of people through our increasingly connected cities,” Connolly said.

Keolis Downer has also engaged Siemens to supply Sicharge UC e-charging equipment at the Hamilton depot in Newcastle, New South Wales, to support the first electric buses trialled by the operator in Australia. Regular services from the Hamilton depot are expected to commence by the February 2022.

The Siemens Sicharge UC platform provides bus operators with optimal flexibility when planning electric bus depots, offering compact, sequential and ultra-high power charging options capable of producing up to 800 kW at 1,000 volts (V). This allows operators to benefit from the rapid advances being made in battery technology, with the option to scale-up economically by adding up to five dispensers plus a pantograph to each charging centre.

Keolis Downer CEO David Franks said selecting Siemens has ensured the operator can futureproof its eBus operations.

“With electric bus technology developing at a fast pace, bus operators require holistic charging and depot management solutions that we can rely on to grow alongside the technology it powers and market demand. Siemens provides a world-class platform, enabling us to scale up quickly and meet the expectations of our passengers,” said Franks.

The largest private operator of multi-modal public transit in Australia, Keolis Downer’s footprint extends into five states across heavy rail, light rail, tramways and buses. In Brisbane’s northern suburbs, it operates public and school bus services under the Hornibrook Bus Lines brand as a contractor to both TransLink and Brisbane Transport, with 1.7 million passenger journeys taken on its network each year.

The announcement with Keolis Downer comes after Australian bus company Custom Denning selected the Sicharge UC product family to power its new ‘Element’ eBuses in Australia.

Siemens provides world-class charging infrastructure designed specifically for electric bus depot applications, but also supply complementary technologies such as microgrid, grid connection and charging management solutions, all of which are increasingly becoming essential components of electric bus depots.

TRANSIT SYSTEMS has announced it is set to create the largest electrified bus depot in Australia, transforming the Leichardt bus depot it operates in Sydney’s inner West to cope with the large scale introduction of zero emission buses under NSW Government plans over the next few years.

Transit Systems says it has worked with Transport for NSW as well as key industry partners, including Zenobé and Transgrid, using national funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), alongside the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CFEC) for the construction project.

Sydney commuters will be seeing more green power on urban streets, with Transit Systems currently operating 15 electric buses across the Inner West.

The company says that taking the successful electric pilot programs to scale has required significant planning and infrastructure works to ensure the grid and electrical network can cope with the charging and energy storage needs.

“With responsibility for transporting over 207 million passengers each year, we strive to not just meet the community’s needs today, but ensure we future-proof our solutions with sustainable outcomes that will benefit us all tomorrow,” said Clint Feuerherdt, CEO of Transit Systems parent company, SeaLink Travel Group.

“Part of achieving this has been our active participation in trials of new technology and creating relationships with key stakeholders to ensure we have the operational experience that doesn’t just adapt, but leads the market,” Feuerherdt said.

Zenobé co-founder and director, Steven Meersman said the companies have proudly worked together, to be able to deliver the next step by providing expert grid management with joint venture partners Transgrid, along with Zenobé’s innovative software and end-of-life battery solutions.

“The combination of Transit Systems global transport experience with our battery knowhow and proprietary software solutions showcases the pathway to more zero emission transport solutions in Australia, and across the world,” said Meersman.

“This hallmark collaboration demonstrates what is possible in the rollout of greener public transport by bringing together expertise from energy and transport sector, and we’re excited to share the outcomes and learnings as we progress with the wider industry,” he said.

Clint Feuerherdt added it is a passion for innovation and sustainability driving the industry forward.

“We’re incredibly proud to collaborate with our industry partners and Government stakeholders to get these electric buses from vision to reality – it is a turning point for delivering more sustainable transport on a mass scale,” said Feuerherdt.

As part of this agreement, 40 new electric buses have been ordered by Transit Systems and will join the 15 electric buses already in service.

The remaining buses will arrive progressively over the next year, locally finished with windscreens, mirrors, grab bars and seating, before heading to the Leichhardt depot.

“Our customers are telling us they feel better on an electric bus – and that’s really important to us because it means sustainability isn’t just a trend or catch phrase - it’s a real vision that we can all connect on and work towards.

“For our employees, there’s a joy in knowing that they are contributing to our environmental economy each and every day and there’s certainly interest among our frontline staff to take the additional electric bus training courses and drive an electric vehicle,” he said.

Volvo Bus Australia has revealed it has doubled down on prioritising training across its diesel and electric offering saying it is reinforcing its commitment to quality, safety and reliability.

VOLVO BUS general manager, Mitch Peden, said that even through recent unpredictable times, VBA has prioritised delivery of technical training across the country.

“This past 18 months have posed many difficulties for the industry, however we have remained committed to delivering key support to our customers and partners through continuing our specialised training – both, through in person training in COVID safe conditions, and rethinking our approach by delivering online training,” said Peden.

“Notably, Volvo Bus National competency manager David Woodward has delivered extensive face to face training to various local customers, with even more expected to take place now that NSW Covid restrictions have eased,” he said.

“Border closures and travel restrictions have meant that we have needed to rethink how we could effectively deliver the training we had planned, so we’ve implemented virtual training to interstate partners, and we’re calling on our ‘Commercial Crew’ approach to have local team members there in person.”

Following the recent launch of its BZL Electric chassis, Volvo says it is leading the industry in offering electromobility training, in the development of an Electromobility Micro skills Course with TAFE NSW – due to be officially released to the public in January 2022.

“Given the nature of electric vehicles, high voltage systems require extensive understanding about the way vehicles are built, operated and serviced, and the Electromobility Micro skills Course that we’ve developed hand in hand with TAFE NSW will be an important first step in developing this industry-wide knowledge,” said Peden.

“We consistently strive to enhance the quality of our products and services, and our efforts within the training space for customers and partners is key to this,” he said.

“We want to ensure workshop technicians, drivers, and operators have a good understanding of the differences of running an electric fleet – we’re working with technology that is new to all of us, so we have to equip ourselves with new information and new knowledge, at every step of the journey,” said Peden.

QUEENSLAND based vehicle distributor, BLK Auto has announced it has recruited veteran British bus industry executive and engineer, Graham Belgum as its hydrogen technology to bolster its capabilities as it looks to grows it hydrogen vehicle development and fuel supply services.

Graham Belgum most recently was the CEO of Optare Buses working specifically on a range of zero emission bus programs with both battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell technology. He is a professional engineer by training with more than 40 years experience across design, development and operational support across mechanical, electrical and electronic equipment.

Commencing his new role as professional adviser this week, Belgum, BLK Auto says he takes over to enhance its hydrogen fuel cell vehicle development and support capability as it works with local body manufacturers to develop and integrate its fuel cell solutions to their fleets.

“I’m delighted to welcome Graham to the BLK Auto team,’’ BLK Auto managing director Jason Pecotic said.

Graham Belgum said he was looking forward to hitting the ground running with BLK to help fill a large and looming gap in Australia’s hydrogen sector.

“Hydrogen is the way forward for a clean energy future, and BLK Auto is at the forefront here in Australia to make a meaningful impact in this sector.

According to BLK Auto, Belgum’s career dates back to the first 10 hydrogen fuel cell buses that went into service in the United Kingdom for Transport for London after they were introduced in 2003.

During this time, he served as engineering director for First Group in London and oversaw the introduction of the first and second generation fuel cell buses into operation, including the development of Lea Interchange to refuel and maintain FEVs for the Olympics.

In recent years, he has led the design, development and support of a range of battery electric buses as the chief executive officer for Optare Buses, and worked on the design and development of a double decker fuel cell bus.

GERMAN E-mobility specialist Quantron has announced it is launching its own range of electric buses with the arrival of the electric Quantron 12 m low-floor bus from the end of this year. Quantron says the electric city bus will be offered in two versions with a BEV variant to be available early as the end of this year and a hydrogen FCEV from the second quarter in 2022 with the company claiming that the emission-free BEV-bus will be in a similar price range to conventional diesel buses. Quantron said the buses are being brought to market in close cooperation with its investor and strategic partner Ev Dynamics, a European-Asian consortium of companies specialising in electric and hydrogen-based mobility. The company added that both the batteries from CATL and the fuel cells from Ballard Power come from the world’s leading manufacturers of the respective technologies. “Several thousand buses have already been produced, these have been operating successfully in Asia for years,” said CEO of Ev Dynamics, Miguel Valldecabres Polop.

The Quantron fully electric drive for the bus will deliver a maximum output of 250 kW and a range of up to 280 km, targeting daily urban use.

The company claims the charging power will be up to 80 kW with a battery capacity of up to 422 kWh, charging via a European standard plug CCS 2 within three to six hours depending on the battery size.

The company said the battery system is adapted to respective operational requirements and is compatible with various charging solutions with the city bus capable of being fully recharged overnight. Quantron says the bus has a capacity for up to 95 passengers with in a wide range of specifications and style to meet individual customer requirements.