A new pilot project set to drive down emissions in public transport and heavy transport has today been announced. The $36 million project will consist of Australia’s largest electric bus fleet (40 buses), charging infrastructure and a retrofitted bus depot in Leichhardt, Sydney.

The ANU Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program is playing a supporting role in this multi-partnered project, collaborating with energy consultancy, Zenobe, and electricity transmission network operator, Transgrid. BSGIP will leverage the data produced in this next generation electric bus depot trial in a project entitled RouteZero.

The data will be used to create an analytics platform, the first of its kind in Australia, that can be used by other bus companies that may be looking to make the switch to electrification.

“The ANU is creating a software tool that enables bus operators to assess the suitability of electric buses for their routes, based on the real-world performance of buses in the Sydney deployment,” said Dr Bjorn Sturmberg, Research Leader, Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program at the Australian National University.

“The tool will also optimise the charging infrastructure required to meet their timetables, quantifying the costs and grid impacts of electrifying their depots, empowering bus operators to quickly identify the best starting points for their electrification journey.”

Full story on the BSGIP website