The Karrinyup bus depot in Perth’s northern suburbs has been upgraded with electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure as part of the state’s transition to a fully electric bus fleet.
Karrinyup is currently Perth’s largest EV bus depot and the third site to be completed after Elizabeth Quay Bus Station and the Malaga Bus Depot. The depot has been upgraded with 56 dual electric bus chargers with 112 charging plugs.
There are currently 53 electric buses operating out of the depot, with plans to increase to 110 electric buses by the end of the year.
“We’re not only building locally made electric buses for the future but delivering the infrastructure needed to support a cleaner, greener public transport system,” said WA Transport Minister, Rita Saffioti.
“Karrinyup is now our largest EV bus depot, with buses charging up here before hitting the road as far as Joondalup in our north, Fremantle in the south and Ballajura in the east.”
EV charging specialist JET Charge has retrofitted the depot with the EV charging equipment as well as substation and CCTV upgrades.
The project has also included the reconstruction of the depot yard including additional parking for drivers, new line marking and the refurbishment of driver and staff facilities.
Works are underway to upgrade the depots at Bayswater and Jandakot North with EV charging infrastructure to support up to 130 and 82 electric buses respectively. Planning is also underway for the upgrade of depots at Welshpool, Joondalup, and Claisebrook to support the State’s growing electric fleet.
To date, 155 electric buses have been delivered, including Australia’s first locally manufactured electric articulated ‘bendy’ bus, with a second close to completion. The two bendy buses are expected to begin road testing in the coming weeks before entering service in Perth’s northern suburbs, with one expected to be received at the Karrinyup depot in September.
The upgrades are part of a $250 million State and Federal Government initiative to phase out diesel buses and deliver new electric bus charging infrastructure across Perth. The jointly funded program has already delivered an initial 130 electric buses, with associated charging infrastructure and depot upgrades rolling out across the Transperth network.
