E-buses for Auckland Airport link

A full fleet of electric buses operated by Go Bus will provide an Auckland Airport service early in the first half of 2021.

The nine buses for the new Airport Link service will be built by Yutong with supply and support from JW Group, Auckland Transport (AT) says.

The e-buses’ 374kWh battery pack provides the 380-400km range needed for this new service which has long daily operating hours (4am to 1am).  Fast charging will be added to the Manukau Bus Station as part of a wider AT electric bus and infrastructure trial project.

“These new electric buses will improve transport connections and reliability between Manukau, Puhinui and Auckland Airport, including for workers accessing its employment precinct as well as the airport itself,” Auckland mayor Phil Goff says.

“They will also help reduce carbon emissions from Auckland’s transport network, helping us to achieve our climate change goals.”

AT integrated networks executive general manager Mark Lambert says trials AT have held in partnership Go Bus and other operators during the past two years means more electric bus routes will be rolled out across the wider Auckland region.

“Our trials have proven that these buses can operate for a full shift on a single charge, while providing an improved customer experience.”

The Airport Link route will travel from Manukau Bus Station to the newly upgraded Puhinui train to bus station interchange and on to Auckland Airport.

Ten-minute service frequency will ensure seamless transition between bus and train modes at Puhinui and Manukau Stations and travel time between Puhinui Station and the airport will only be 10-12 minutes when new priority bus lanes are installed as part of the Southwest Gateway programme, AT says.

The Airport Link will replace the southern section of the 380 Airporter bus route. At the same time, a new frequent bus route, the 38, will launch on the northern section of the previous 380 route between Onehunga and the airport district.

“We are really excited about the opportunity to lead the move to zero-emission buses in Auckland,” Go Bus chief executive Calum Haslop says.

“Having trialled two full battery electric buses over a 12-month period and completed thorough due diligence on a number of electric and hydrogen bus deployments worldwide, we are now ready to move to a zero-emission future.”

Haslop says Go Bus is also rolling out electric buses in other New Zealand cities and will continue to work on hydrogen solutions as a complementary zero-emission option.

JW Group general manager Jo Crickett says more than 120,000 Yutong full electric buses have proven to be reliable, quiet and energy efficient throughout the world, and now in New Zealand through a robust AT trial.