NEW ZEALAND: The Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority is giving a NZ$763 000 grant for the conversion of 50 Wellington trolleybuses to battery power.
Bus operator NZ Bus is to install fast-charging stations at the Karori and Kilbirnie depots, and the converted buses are expected to enter service at the start of next year. Wellington’s trolleybus network closed in 2017.
‘The conversion of these buses to battery power marks a significant milestone in the strategy to shift our public transport away from fossil fuels and towards a sustainable future’, said Greater Wellington Regional Council Chair Chris Laidlaw. ‘The electricity will be largely generated from the city and region’s best-known characteristic — its wind.’
