Victoria commits to local for zero emissions buses

Victoria has set 62 percent as a local content requirement for future public bus purchases following its decision to transition to Zero Emission Bus (ZEBs) procurements for contracts through a new road map.

The ZEB plan is set to guide how the state’s diesel fleet will be progressively phased out and replaced by ZEBs, with the road map defining ‘local’ content as businesses located anywhere in Australia and New Zealand.

The Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams said: “We’re converting Victoria’s entire public bus fleet to be quieter and more comfortable for passengers while at the same time slashing emissions.”

As part of Victoria’s drive to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045, all new public transport buses purchased from 1 July 2025 will be Zero Emission Buses (ZEBs).

Victoria’s Zero Emission Bus Transition Plan released earlier this month will transform Victoria’s bus fleet of approximately 4,500 diesel buses to ZEBs in a significant undertaking.

As part of the Victorian Budget 2020/21, the government invested $20 million in a three-year state-wide trial of ZEBs, launched in 2022.

Six Victorian bus operators were selected to trial 52 ZEBs on existing routes across the state’s metropolitan and regional bus networks.

Lessons from the trials include depot charging needs and capacity, infrastructure and energy network requirements, environmental outcomes, customer expectations and commercial arrangements, according to a statement.

The trials also aim to support the Victorian economy by boosting the transport equipment, manufacturing and electricity supply sectors, driving the local development of skills and innovation and contributing to economies with established bus manufacturers.

Picture: Nexport’s ‘Next Generation’ Zero Emissions Bus travelled from the company’s factory in Western Sydney to Melbourne for ZEB Drive Day