Perth gains Western Australia’s largest bus charging hub

Transperth, the public transport authority for the city of Perth, has deployed the first of 90 electric buses. This is amid a wider electrification push which will see Transperth's Malaga depot gain the charging infrastructure necessary to support 110 electric buses.

The first 11 electric buses have now been deployed for service in the suburbs of Perth, with the other 90 buses set to enter operation during the first half of 2026. Details of the exact buses ordered have not been shared; however, local government officials have stated that each bus “has the capability to travel up to 300km on a single charge”. The new buses join an existing 18 electric buses which already serve CBD CAT (Central Area Transit) routes.

The buses will operate out of Transperth’s Malaga depot, which is currently undergoing $12M AUD in upgrades so that it can support electric buses. This includes the installation of a solar array and battery storage systems, plus charging towers. 16 chargers are reportedly already in place, with the others set to follow by the end of the year as the remaining buses enter commission. Further upgrades are planned at depots in Karrinyup and Claisebrook – with Karrinyup to deploy its first e-buses early next year – while the authorities also hope to build a new electric bus depot at Bayswater.

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said: “We’ve had electric buses operating on the CBD Cat bus routes since September last year, but now people catching buses in the suburbs will be jumping on board too. We’ve now delivered on our election commitment to stop the production of diesel buses, and that means the community will start to see more and more electric buses operating on the network.

wa.gov.au