Powering up the regions as first trials start under $25 million zero emission bus trials project

As classes resume for term two today, students in the Armidale and Tweed regions will have a cleaner, greener ride to school on brand new battery electric-powered buses. 

The start of term two marks the start of the first on-road trials as part of Transport for NSW’s $25 million project to look at how zero emission bus technology can be delivered to the regions.

Armidale and Tweed are the first two trial sites to be launched, with two battery electric buses now operating on Armidale school routes serviced by Edwards Coaches and two operating on routes in the Tweed area serviced by Kinetic. 

At different times over the course of the trial, the zero emission buses or ZEBs will service 30 schools across Armidale and Uralla and the Tweed. 

In Armidale today, Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison also announced the locations for further ZEB trials in regional NSW. 

Narrabri will play host to one bus, Queanbeyan three buses and Deniliquin will have three trial vehicles. The second deployment of the trials are scheduled to begin during term 4, 2024. Details about these trials will be provided at a later date.

Conducting trials in different locations with diverse landscapes, using a range of bus types and vehicle suppliers, will help inform what best suits regional and remote service needs in the transition to zero emissions. 

For the Armidale and Tweed trials vehicle dealership, VDI Australia supplied all four buses – Armidale will have one 57 seat bus and one 24 seat vehicle while Tweed will have two 55 seat buses. 

The ZEBs will be a prominent sight around Armidale and Tweed with distinctive blue livery and signage, touting ‘This is a zero emissions bus’ and ‘Breathe easy’. 

Passengers, drivers, and bus operators will be encouraged to provide feedback during the trials to help with the future roll out of zero emission buses. 

Read the full media release here (PDF, 148.61 KB)