Invercargill welcomes new fleet of electric buses

Invercargill residents will see a cleaner, more modern public transport service on its city streets with the arrival of a new electric vehicle (EV) bus fleet.

Seven of the new EV buses have arrived in the city, and were being progressively rolled out across the BusSmart Urban Services network – replacing the previous diesel-powered fleet.

Invercargill City Council Chief Executive Michael Day said the transition marked an important step towards a future-focused, cost-effective public transport network for the community.

“Our contract for the previous bus fleet was coming to an end, and we took the opportunity to thoroughly review how we could best deliver a public transport service for Invercargill into the future,” he said.

“Electric buses provide a modern, reliable, and environmentally-responsible solution that will meet our city’s needs into the future. The arrival of the EV bus fleet is great news for our neighbourhoods, and represents a real investment in the future of our city.”

The new EV fleet offered lower operating costs and significantly-reduced emissions, supporting Council’s commitment to improving local air quality and reducing noise pollution throughout Invercargill, Day said.

The EV buses were supplied by Kinetic, one of the world’s leading zero-emission bus operators and the company behind a quarter of London’s iconic red buses. Kinetic operates a significant share of Transport for London’s zero-emission fleet and also provides EV buses in Greater Christchurch and across the Otago network, including Mosgiel’s fully electric fleet. The new Invercargill buses apply only to the BusSmart urban services and do not include school bus operations, he said.

The new EV buses would continue to operate the same services and routes as the previous bus fleet, and had the same number of seats on-board. Data from the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia showed EVs were safe, and all of the buses in the new fleet were fitted with robust fire-safety and battery-management systems, he said.

“We are aware that there has been some misinformation circulating in other communities where electric buses are in operation, but our community can rest assured that Invercargill’s new EV bus fleet is safe and reliable – EV buses are far less likely to catch fire than petrol vehicles,” he said.

“The only reminder we have for people is to remember the EV bus fleet is a lot quieter – so whether you’re a pedestrian, cyclist, or driving on our roads, make sure you’re aware of other vehicles around you.”

The total cost of the nine-year contract, which runs until December 2034, was $21.49 million. That cost included the installation of charging infrastructure at the bus depot, as well as the supply of the buses.

The total cost equated to a cost of approximately $1.99 per ratepayer, per week over the lifetime of the contract, helping to ensure Invercargill continued to be served by an accessible public transport network, he said.