Canberra introduces hybrid and all-electric buses
Canberra, Australia, is introducing hybrid and electric buses as part of a 12-month trial. The ACT government will lease one of Volvo's hybrid buses and two electric buses from Carbridge, with the trial expected to cost around $900,000 to explore whether the current ACTION fleet should be replaced with the newer technology. Although there are currently six such buses working at Sydney Airport, with 11 to follow at Brisbane Airport, the Canberra trial will be the first on public routes.
"We see it as a stepping stone to the future. The future is electric, Volvo has electric chassis in development and actually in service in Europe which we are planning on bringing to Australia at some point in the future," Volvo Bus Australia's national contracts manager Ian Clarke said.