Kinetic has begun operating two new nine-year Otago Regional Council contracts through its Go Bus brand, adding 37 electric buses and 30 drivers to its Dunedin operation.
The expanded network includes a new daily electric bus service connecting Ōamaru and Dunedin, providing communities along the coast with improved access to the city.
Kinetic has invested $25 million in the new zero-emission fleet and supporting infrastructure, including the electrification of Go Bus’s Portsmouth Drive depot.
The depot features what Kinetic says is the South Island’s first overhead gantry charging system.
Together with ground-mounted units, the site can charge up to 38 electric buses simultaneously. The gantry system occupies around 25% less space than conventional ground-mounted chargers.
Go Bus chief operating officer Ben Barlow says the expansion builds on the operator’s longstanding relationship with the regional council and Dunedin community.
“We’ve operated in Dunedin for many years, and from today we’re running more of the network. That’s a responsibility we take seriously, and our focus is on delivering services that are safe, reliable and accessible for the people who depend on them,” Barlow says.
“We’re also excited to be building on the work we’ve already done in Dunedin to support Otago Regional Council’s transition to a zero-emission bus fleet.”
Kinetic executive general manager electrification Kayne Baas says the Portsmouth Drive charging system draws on the company’s experience in other markets.
“We’ve drawn on Kinetic’s experience delivering overhead gantry charging across our global operations in designing the system at Portsmouth Drive,” Baas says.
“It builds on the charging infrastructure we installed at our Mosgiel depot last year, and adds to the ground-mounted charging we operate in Auckland, Christchurch, Tauranga, Wellington and Invercargill, as well as overhead gantry charging at our Glenfield and City depots in Auckland.”
The new buses will also be supported by Go Bus’s electrified satellite depot at Mosgiel, which was upgraded last year for 13 electric buses operating on the network.
