Smoother, quieter journeys on Sapphire Coast’s Flexibus On Demand service with two new electric minibuses

Two new electric battery powered minibuses, the first of their make and model in Australia, have started operating on the south coast’s Flexibus On Demand transport service.

Sapphire Coast Buslines recently purchased the two 18-seat electric vehicles and is using them on the Flexibus service that runs in the Bega Valley Shire and parts of the far south coast.

Transport for NSW contracts the company to provide On Demand services - a flexible public transport option designed to improve connections to transport hubs and popular destinations like shopping centres or hospitals. 

Around 22,000 passenger trips were made on the service in the 12 months to April 2024.  

The new minibuses are a prominent sight around Eden, Tura Beach, Merimbula and Pambula with their distinctive blue livery that says, ‘This is a zero emissions bus’ and ‘Breathe easy’.  

People who make a booking to use the Flexibus On Demand service on the far south coast can now look forward to smoother, quieter journeys on the electric battery powered minibuses, which are also more environmentally sustainable as they produce zero emissions.

This comes as the NSW Government delivers a multi-billion program to transition the state’s 8,000 plus diesel and natural gas public transport buses to zero emissions technology.

The new minibuses are HDrive EV70 vehicles which are low-floor models and are equipped with ramps, making them accessible for people with disabilities or mobility issues. 

They feature USB chargers, a luggage rack and large windows allowing passengers a comfortable and enjoyable journey.

Each vehicle has a range of 250 kilometres per day and are recharged at Sapphire Coast Buslines Pambula depot each evening, after the company made significant investment to install two charging stations.

Read the full media release here (PDF, 94.48 KB)