Published: March 2023 | Category: Environmental sustainability , Research programme , Research & reports | Audience: General
This research, undertaken in 2022, collected and collated knowledge from transitions to electric public transport to provide councils with guidance and 'lessons learned'.
Researchers interviewed six representatives from Public Transport Authorities, five bus or ferry operators, two representatives from the Bus & Coach Association, two bus manufacturers and one representative from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).
Most interviewees were initially concerned about bus performance, battery life and/or range but generally found that the buses performed well. They reported that good forward planning paid off in getting the right vehicles for their needs.
The researchers noted that wider industry concerns about range may be overstated due to media attention or outdated understanding of a rapidly changing technology.
There is now a relatively large amount of experience in zero-emission public transport among PTAs, operators, and vehicle builders in New Zealand. This provides a good knowledge base for others to tap into when starting their decarbonisation journey.
Keywords:
decarbonise, electric bus, electric ferry, hydrogen bus, public transport
Authors
L. Thorwaldson, MRCagney, Auckland
A. Knight, MRCagney, Hamilton
