Zero Emission Buses
Project overview
This transition delivers on the NSW Government’s commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and to provide more comfortable journeys and liveable places for our passengers and communities.
The program will be delivered in stages to allow local industry time to prepare, and technology advancements to be assessed and adopted along the way. Under the Zero Emission Buses Transition Plan, the transition will be complete in Greater Sydney by 2035, in Outer Metropolitan regions by 2040, and in Regional NSW by 2047.
Related projects
Bus depot conversions
Depots are being converted to zero emissions technology for a new fleet of battery electric buses.
Macquarie Park Bus Depot
The first purpose-built battery electric bus depot, as part of the ZEB Program.
Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System
A research and sound design project in partnership with iMOVE and UTS.
Industry information
View our infrastructure pipeline, industry events, business opportunities and more.
About the program
Greater Sydney Stage 1
The first stage of the transition commenced in 2023 and will introduce 1,200 new electric buses for Greater Sydney customers by 2028.
As part of the first stage, 11 existing bus depots will be converted to support the new battery electric fleet and a new bus depot is proposed to be built in Macquarie Park.
Along with planned new electric buses and those already in service, there will be around 1,700 zero emission buses expected to be operating on Sydney roads by the end of 2028.
For more information view the Greater Sydney Stage 1 depot conversions.
Regional trials
Transport is working closely with regional bus operators to undertake a series of zero emission bus trials in regional NSW.
Different types of ZEBs are being trialled in Armidale, the Tweed, Narrabri, Queanbeyan, and Deniliquin. These locations have been selected for their varied climates, terrain, and road conditions which will help Transport understand which technology best suits regional and remote service needs.
During the trials, data is being collected on the performance of the ZEBs, as well as feedback from passengers, drivers, and bus operators.
Working in partnership with industry
In partnership with industry, we will transition our bus fleet in stages to ensure the latest advances in technology are considered before we begin each new stage.
We understand there will be challenges as we manage a transition of this size. To make sure our transition plan becomes a reality, we continue to work closely with leaders in the energy, manufacturing, transport operations, financing, and education sectors.
In NSW, diesel and compressed natural gas buses make up most of Transport’s direct carbon emissions.
So, transitioning our buses is an important place for us to start, and an area we can lead by example as the transport sector transitions towards zero emissions.
Keep in touch
For more information about these projects, contact the project team at: zeroemissionbuses@transport.nsw.gov.au