6 | REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Tranzit Group T TRussell Fredric Capacity boost for electric public transport The company’s strategy includes a recently completed, purpose-built electric bus depot at Spedding Road Industrial, a nearly 13,000sqm site near Westgate in Auckland. Photo: Keven Snelgrove “It’s a huge investment for us, but it reflects our commitment to building a strong base in Auckland and supporting the services we deliver there.” Leading the charge in New Zealand’s transition to electric public transport, Tranzit Group is investing in large-scale infrastructure to support its growing fleet in Auckland. The company’s strategy includes a recently completed, purpose-built electric bus depot at Spedding Road Industrial, a nearly 13,000sqm site near Westgate in Auckland. This new site is initially supporting 46 electric buses. The development is underpinned by a nineyear contract with Auckland Transport, a part‑ nership that sees Tranzit Group’s Tranzurban Auckland business deliver a range of routes for passengers in both electric double-deck and single-deck fleets. The flagship route is the WX1 Western Express, which uses the electric double-deck buses. Tranzit Group senior projects manager, James Howard, says the Spedding Road In‑ dustrial site is designed to anchor its growing electric bus fleet while supporting high-fre‑ quency urban routes across the North Shore and West Auckland. It will provide parking for up to 80 vehicles across the whole site, have a new two-level building including operational offices, dedicat‑ ed driver amenities, and a five-bay workshop. The site also has high-speed charging and sustainable bus-wash facilities. A key part of the development is its charg‑ ing capability, with around 1900kW of installed capacity already in place and room to scale further. The infrastructure has been designed to support overnight charging cycles, aligning with service schedules while managing load across the network. Planning for that level of supply has required early coordination with electrical supply partners and careful site design. “The charging infrastructure is operating well, and the site has been built with the abil‑ ity to grow as more electric buses come into the fleet,” says James. “It’s a huge investment for us, but it reflects our commitment to building a strong base in Auckland and supporting the services we deliver there.” Delivering a project of this scale has re‑ quired a mix of internal capability and external expertise, with project management, engi‑ neering and operational teams working closely with construction and electrical partners to ensure the site functions effectively. The shift to electric has consequently broad‑ ened the skillsets required across the busi‑ ness, particularly in areas such as diagnostics, charging systems and fleet integration. “It’s been a collaborative effort between our internal teams and specialist partners to make sure the depot is set up properly for how we operate,” says James. While the Westgate project represents the next step in Tranzit’s journey, it builds on a longer journey that began before electric bus‑ es became mainstream in New Zealand. Tranzit Group introduced the country’s first electric bus, in partnership with Auckland University of Technology in 2018, following several years of research into alternatives to diesel buses. “Tranzit Group took a long-term view early that there needed to be an alternative to die‑ sel buses, and electric was the pathway that made sense for us. “Then, we were successful in Wellington, winning a tender with the Greater Wellington Regional Council to deliver around 60% of the public transport bus network, and as part of that there was a real willingness to move toward a zero-emissions fleet.” That early work has since expanded into multiple regions, with electric bus fleets now operating in Wellington, Palmerston North, Waikato, and Taranaki. “When we introduced 10 double-deck elec‑ tric buses through the Wellington contract, it marked the first time double-deck electric buses had been brought into service in the Southern Hemisphere and reinforced Tranzit’s longstanding reputation as being leaders and innovators in the bus and coach industry.” From those early trials, the business has steadily scaled its electric capability, sup‑ searchfield electrical Phone: 0800 172 424 Office: 09 444 5782 Email: admin@searchfield.co.nz GET IN TOUCH EXPERIENCED AUCKLAND ELECTRICIANS Providing a quality, reliable and professional service.
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