Auckland Transport is rolling out the first extra-large three axle electric bus to its fleet.
The Chinese built Yutong E13 was supplied in partnership with New Zealand-based JW Group and will be operated by Howick and Eastern Buses on the Britomart route.
It is one of the largest electric vehicles in Australasia which can seat 78 passengers and features a CATL lithium ion 422kW battery with 450km range.
Auckland mayor Phil Goff says transport accounts for more than 40% of Auckland’s total carbon emissions, so making progress with electric buses capable of travelling long distances “is important to reduce our overall carbon footprint”.
“Electric buses help us achieve our climate change goals. They also help improve air quality and reduce pollution from black carbon and nitrogen oxide emitted by the current diesel vehicles, which is a health risk,” Goff says.
Auckland Transport bus services manager Darek Koper says it’s an “exciting milestone” as the city transitions to a zero emission bus fleet.
It’s the first bus of its design in Australia and New Zealand and was manufactured specifically for local standards.
“Trialling this bus on longer distance routes from East Auckland into the city centre will help us compare operational performance, power demand and costs alongside equivalent existing diesel buses and hydrogen fuel cell buses being manufactured for AT.
“This validates our case studies showing much lower impact from three-axle electric buses on road pavements, compared to standard e-buses,”Koper says.
JW Group director Wei Zhou says he is pleased to continue working closely with AT to introduce the extra-large EV.
“During 2018 and 2019, a large two axle EV bus was trialled by AT in partnership with Yutong. During this testing, operators in Auckland have shown real world range exceeding 400km a day on a single charge.
“This builds operational confidence in electric bus fleets to manage the rigorous demands of public transport right now,” he says.
The Yutong E13 was unveiled for the first time at Howick Historical Village on October 28 and will be on loan to operator Howick & Eastern for the trial period.
Howick & Eastern general manager Sheryll Otway pointed out the significance of the Yutong E13 launch.
“In 1906 we launched the first motorised bus to complement our horse drawn carriages and now 114 years later, in partnership with Auckland Transport and JW Diesel, we are again changing the way our passengers travel. This is history in the making.
“Electric buses are a game changer and we’re excited to support Auckland Transport’s vision for a full zero emission bus fleet by 2040,” Otway says.
“We can’t wait for our customers to get on board and experience the E13 for themselves.”
Join the conversation (1)
1/ How long does it take to recharge the bus ,
2/ what is the cost of the bus compared to the traditional diesel bus.
3 / cost of a new battery when the battery has degraded . would be interesting .