It’s Electrifyin!

Transperth will soon introduce the exciting arrival of two fully electric, zero-emission buses to the Transperth fleet. This is a major step forward in sustainable public transport technology.

Operating initially as a trial on the Joondalup CAT route from the start of 2022, the vehicles will be assessed for performance, reliability; energy efficiency, emissions reduction, as well as life-cycle cost.

Should the vehicles meet the needs of the network, the aim is for all Perth CAT buses on the Transperth network to be made electric. 

Each vehicle will need to be recharged overnight, achieved with the assistance of 100Kw solar power array and battery storage.  Batteries will store energy during the day to be used overnight to re-charge the batteries of the buses. The charging technology will be installed at the Joondalup bus depot and is estimated to take 4hrs for a full charge.

Due to the stop-start demands of Transperth buses, along with the requirement of cooling capacity to maintain comfortable temperatures during Perth’s summer, a 400Kw battery capacity is required. This is significantly larger than an electric car’s 60-100Kw capacity.

To power each bus, six large battery units are placed on the roof. Together, these weigh close to 4 tonne, so additional structural re-enforcement and modification is needed to support the weight, along with upgraded suspension to prevent body roll.

While the trial buses have been manufactured in Melbourne, should it be successful, manufacture will relocate to Perth at Volgren’s Malaga facility. This will support local jobs and apprenticeships in green technology.

Keep an eye out for them on the streets of Joondalup in 2022.