It is the second order from the NSW government to Custom Denning following a 20-bus order placed last year.

The contract is in addition to the proposed 40 electric buses that would be being introduced into the Sydney transit routes. These buses were planned to be assembled in NSW by zero-emission bus company Nexport using Alexander Dennis Ltd bodies and BYD drivetrains, with battery systems from UK company Zenobe.

However, this week the plans to build EV buses in NSW’s Southern Highlands came unstuck as Nexport said it couldn’t get support from the government.

The issue is to be addressed in talks planned between the government and Nexport.

The Custom Denning contract for zero-emission transit vehicles is a NSW government commitment to replace its entire 8000-plus bus fleet to electric by 2030.

Custom Denning’s contract is worth about $70 million. Its EV bus won the bid after successful trials in Sydney last year and comes on the back of a government-led move to obtain locally-made assets.

NSW premier Dominic Perrottet confirmed the contract win last month at Custom Denning’s St Marys-based factory and said local manufacturing was a “substantial focus” of the government.

He said it would ensure ongoing employment for the bus-maker’s 160 workers and provide additional work in the future, including the creation of 40 apprenticeships.

The Custom Denning Element EV bus has shown in trials to use less energy than rivals because of its high-density solid-state lithium-metal polymer (LMP) batteries that, in comparison with lithium-ion batteries, do not need secondary cooling.

It can operate for 22 hours on a single four-hour charge. The Element is built with a stainless-steel frame and integrated body and chassis to reduce vehicle weight and allow for batteries to be stored in the roof. 

The first bus operator to buy the Element buses is NSW-based Busways.

The NSW government had earlier announced that the 40-bus order was supported by a $29.5 million investment, including $24.5 million from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and $5 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). 

The project is a joint venture between Transgrid and Zenobe, with support from Transit Systems and Transport for NSW.

The NSW government has upgraded its Leichhardt depot, shifting from diesel pumps to smart charging stations, solar panels and large scale energy storage. 

It has been retrofitted with a combination of 324 kWh and 422 kWh batteries; five 120 kW electric bus chargers that are capable of charging two buses at a time; 31  80 kW electric bus chargers; 2.5 MW / 4.9 MWh of stationary battery storage; and 388 kW of rooftop solar photovoltaic cells.

The first 12 of the 40 new electric buses have entered service and the rest of the fleet is expected over the next six months.

Custom Denning Element EV

By Neil Dowling