Go Bus goes green with Siemens e-bus infrastructure

Bus fleets in parts of New Zealand are set to begin an electric transformation in early 2021, with Go Bus — one of New Zealand’s largest bus operators — appointing Siemens to power 34 buses at depots in Christchurch and Auckland. Siemens’ Sicharge UC e-bus charging infrastructure will support 25 electric buses in Christchurch and nine buses in Auckland that will operate on a new electric airport link.

The charging infrastructure will help New Zealand move closer to its sustainability goals as the country looks to electrification of the transport sector to reduce its carbon footprint. The city of Auckland aims to have a zero-emission bus fleet by 2040.

Having worked with KiwiRail on the electrification and resignalling of Auckland’s urban rail network, Siemens has a history of helping modernise New Zealand’s infrastructure and make it more sustainable.

“As a national bus operator, Go Bus needs to be agile and adapt to many fast-moving changes when transitioning to electric bus transport,” Go Bus CEO Calum Haslop said.

“It’s also important that any investments we make now take into account rapid advances in battery technology and digitalisation. Siemens’ independent charging infrastructure and management software provides us with the most futureproof solutions and flexibility.”

The Siemens Sicharge UC range grants bus operators optimal flexibility when planning electric bus depots, by providing highly efficient infrastructure that is designed to be futureproofed against rapid advances in battery technology as well as enable bus operators to economically expand charging infrastructure, with up to five dispensers plus a pantograph per charging centre.

Jeff Connolly, CEO of Siemens Australia Pacific and Head of Siemens’ Smart Infrastructure portfolio in the region, said, “We’re proud to see our technology play a pivotal part in fulfilling New Zealand’s low-carbon future.

“It’s critical to have a long-term view of transport infrastructure — one that centres around the effective and efficient use of the right technology and seamless movement of people.”

The Go Bus project demonstrates the advantage of Siemens’ vehicle-agnostic charging infrastructure, which will integrate with e-buses from both Chinese OEM Yutong and local New Zealand OEM Global Bus Ventures, to deliver futureproofed charging solutions.

The reporting and monitoring function of Siemens’ Charging Management Software will enable Go Bus to centrally monitor all charging infrastructure across two cities and easily report on key metrics including electricity savings. Smart management functionality will also enable Go Bus to schedule charging to take advantage to lower overnight tariffs while ensuring that individual buses have reached the desired state of charge by the time they are needed for the next day’s operations.