The Victorian Government has opened Victoria’s first electric bus depot in Melbourne’s North-East.
Minister for Public and Active Transport, Gabrielle Williams announced Ventura’s Ivanhoe depot has been converted to accommodate the largest fleet of zero-emissions buses in the state, as part of the Victorian Government Zero Emissions Bus (ZEB) Trial.
27 buses will operate from the depot, transporting up to 10,000 people every week and covering more than 1.2 million kilometres a year across Melbourne’s northern suburbs. This includes routes encompassing La Trobe University, Preston Market, Gowrie Station and Northland Shopping Centre.
To complete the conversion of the depot from diesel to zero emission a new reformer was installed on site and the grid connection upgraded to support the 14 dual-gun Tritium fast chargers.
Ventura is the largest bus operator in Victoria and one of six operators across the state taking part in the three-year ZEB trial which will see 52 zero emission buses (50 electric and two hydrogen) rolled out across Melbourne, Traralgon and Seymour.
The ZEB trial is informing the transition of roughly 4,500 diesel buses in the Victorian public fleet to zero emissions. From 2025, all new buses purchased for Victoria’s public transport routes will be zero emissions as we move towards net zero emissions by 2045.