Carbridge said it has placed orders for 40 more EV buses that will add to the existing six-bus fleet that was introduced in October. The buses are used to transport airport passengers between terminals and car parks.
Carbridge invested $5 million late last year for six buses plus infrastructure, including electric chargers. The additional buses are estimated to cost about $300,000 each. Carbridge and BYD have a joint venture to develop the transport concept at the Sydney airport.
The BYD Blu bus has the capacity for up to 70 passengers, has luggage storage racks and a range of up to 400 kilometres on a single charge, close to that of a Tesla Model S.
A conventional bus with the same passenger capacity and driving a similar short, stop-start route will have a fuel consumption of 48 litres per 100 kilometres. Over the same 400km route on a single charge for the EV bus, a conventional bus would use 192 litres of diesel at $1.40 a litre for a running cost of almost $270.
Carbridge said that it was not only the cost of the fuel but the fact the new buses will have zero emissions and a quiet operation that made them more attractive.
The transit company also has a BYD e6 electric SUV on fleet that is a carry-over from the initial BYD trials of EV buses and passenger vehicles in 2014.
The transport provider has a total fleet of 200, meaning 20 per cent will be low-emission EV vehicles.
In a statement, BYD general manager Asia Pacific Auto sales division Liu Xueliang said working with Carbridge was its foray into selling electric buses in Australia.
Carbridge, part of the Australian flight services supplier Aerocare, operates at six Australian airports and provides passenger services including intra-airport transport, mobility systems and luggage trolleys.
By Neil Dowling
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