Volvo delivers 22 electric buses to Transport for NSW

The vehicles are part of TfNSW’s New Bus Services for Western Sydney programme and contribute to the state’s Zero Emission Buses Program, which aims to deploy around 1,700 electric buses across the Sydney network by 2028. Volvo’s BZL Electric chassis were bodied locally by partner Volgren. The electric buses are part of an order announced last year.

With this new procurement, a total of 18 buses will operate on five new permanent routes linking Penrith, Oran Park, Campbelltown, Liverpool, Mount Druitt and Leppington with the new airport. The remaining four vehicles have already been deployed on existing routes.

The BZL Electric platform is designed for urban deployment, combining low-noise operation with zero tailpipe emissions, as the manufacturer emphasises. The platform can accommodate three to five battery packs with NCA cells of 94 kWh each, resulting in three battery options 282 kWh, 376 kWh and 470 kWh.

It was first presented in 2021 and is designed for both single and double-decker buses with several options for bodybuilders and features a powertrain developed entirely by Volvo.

“We are excited to deliver these electric buses to Transport for NSW,” said Mitchell Peden, General Manager of Volvo Bus Australia. “Volvo is the largest automotive employer in Australia, employing over 1,400 people – of which over 400 employees are based in New South Wales, many of those supporting these buses.”

Volvo has also expanded its training activities in parallel with the rollout. In cooperation with TAFE NSW, the company has developed dedicated safety courses for handling electric bus systems, addressing the requirements associated with high-voltage components.

“Volvo is proud to support the NSW government’s goal of net zero emissions by 2050,” Peden concluded.