Kinetic unveils Australia’s first 100 per cent electric bus depot

Credit: Sarah Marshall/The Photo Pitch

Australian-based bus company Kinetic has unveiled Australia’s first 100 per cent electric bus depot, powered by renewable energy, on the Gold Coast in Queensland as the State Government welcomes the arrival of 30 new electric buses. 

At a press conference at the ‘green’ depot, Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister, Mark Bailey said that it builds on the government’s recently released Zero Emissions Vehicle strategy.

“We’ve made a commitment that every new bus in South East Queensland would be zero-emission from 2025, so to see it happening now is a fantastic achievement,” Bailey said. “That commitment expands to our regions between 2025 and 2030. Electric buses are better for the environment and mean that people will be breathing in fresher, cleaner air when they are walking around. We’ve had some electric buses in SEQ since April [2021], and now we’ll have an extra 30 hitting the road across Cairns, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Logan.”

Gold Coast-based Environment Minister, Meaghan Scanlon, said that she was excited to see her city become home to Australia’s first all-electric bus depot.

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“The Currumbin depot will be powered completely by renewable energy, including a 56kW solar panel array,” Scanlon said. “Having an emissions free bus depot here on the Gold Coast is fantastic, not only for our local environment, but all of Queensland. Transport is the second biggest emitter in Queensland but is rapidly evolving to embrace zero-emission technology. The depot will eventually be home to 10 electric buses, some of which will service the 777-route connecting the Gold Coast Airport in Coolangatta with the heart of the city, meaning that this will be the first impression that tourists have when they touch down in Queensland. This is huge also for our Queensland Climate Action Plan. Our research shows that each electric bus could save as much as 1,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases over its lifespan and deliver many community benefits with less noise and harmful air pollution. I’m sure that customers across Queensland will enjoy riding on the new buses knowing that the project is playing an important role in the future of public transport in this state.”

Kinetic-owned Sunbus will introduce five new buses each on the Sunshine Coast and Cairns from early May and June 2022 respectively, while sister company Surfside Buslines will launch 10 new electric buses on the Gold Coast from late June 2022.

Kinetic‘s Co-CEO, Michael Sewards, said that Kinetic was excited to partner with Translink to enhance the public transport experience and make bus travel greener and cleaner.

“[In 2022] alone, we’ll be introducing 20 zero-emission buses to Queensland roads across Cairns, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast,” Sewards said. “We congratulate the Queensland government on its leadership in transitioning bus networks to greener, cleaner technologies and we’re proud to bring to the table our experience in operating zero-emission buses in other major cities, including in Auckland, Christchurch and soon in Melbourne.”