More than 20 per cent of Canberra's bus fleet will be run on battery electric power by 2026, with 106 zero-emissions buses to enter service over three years.
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The government has previously committed to a completely zero-emissions bus fleet by 2040 or earlier.
The ACT government has signed a contract with Vehicle Dealers International to buy 90 Yutong E12 battery electric buses.
Negotiations were continuing with Custom Denning to buy four element-battery electric buses and accompanying charging infrastructure.
The first of the 94 electric buses would arrive from late 2023, the government said in a statement.
The rest of the buses would arrive through to 2026.
The government said VDI and Custom Bus Group were chosen as they demonstrated value for money, ability to meet the delivery schedule and required bus specifications.
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Transport Minister Chris Steel said the ACT was a leader on zero-emissions transport and had the largest fleet of electric vehicles delivered per capita in Australia.
"Our first 12 of electric buses have been successfully delivering services every day right across the Transport Canberra network," Mr Steel said.
"We are confident that the new zero-emission buses will deliver the same reliable, clean, quiet and comfortable services."
The buses travel approximately 300 kilometres each weekday and return after a shift with 25 to 30 per cent battery capacity remaining.
The average running time is 11 hours a day, but an electric bus has completed a 14.8-hour run. The electric buses already in service have travelled more than 129,000 kilometres across Canberra within their first five months of service.
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Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
