The state government has awarded a $12.3 million contract to EV charging provider JET Charge, over work on a bus depot in Perth.
The state government has awarded a $12.3 million contract to electric vehicle charging provider JET Charge, over work on a bus depot in Perth.
JET Charge will install EV charging equipment, substation and CCTV upgrades, and associated work to retrofit Karrinyup bus depot.
In its announcement today, the state government said the depot could support 110 electric buses once the contract works were completed.
The first electric bus is expected to be delivered to the Karrinyup depot early next year.
“With every new electric bus that is entered into service we need to ensure that our depots have the infrastructure in place to keep the fleet running efficiently and effectively,” Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said.
“It is imperative our bus depots incorporate EV infrastructure so that the transition from a diesel-heavy fleet to one that includes cleaner, greener buses happens as smoothly as possible.”
The state government also announced the end of diesel bus manufacturing in Western Australia, with the last vehicle in the type leaving the Volgren facility in Malaga today.
All new buses manufactured for public transport in the state will be electric from today, the state government said.
Ms Saffioti said every electric bus saved about 40 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
"In the space of a few years, we have seen the successful trial of four electric buses on the Joondalup CAT network, a $250 million investment to start manufacturing electric buses and today, the full transition to locally made electric buses," she said.
The Karrinyup bus depot is set to be the second Transperth facility to be upgraded with EV charging infrastructure, following Elizabeth Quay bus station.
The first electric bus in an 18-vehicle fleet was launched at Elizabeth Quay bus station in September.
Under the network, 18 electric buses were rolled out for the CAT routes in Perth with 18 EV charging stations already built at the Elizabeth Quay facility.
The state and federal governments committed $125 million each towards the acquisition of 130 locally manufactured electric buses, to be operated across WA.
