Electric Bus Deliveries in Australia Continue in 2026

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In the midst of a fuel crisis in Australia, caused by Middle East war miscalculations, I would expect that many transport companies are wishing they had ordered more battery electric buses. Diesel is over $AU 3 per litre, while electricity prices remain the same. Fleets are still converting slowly, though. In January 2026, 155 buses were delivered — 146 were diesel, only 9 were BEV. Eight of these electrics were from Volvo, and 1 from BYD. In February, it was a little better, with 12 from Volvo, 11 from BYD via Nextport, 8 from Yutong, and 7 from Custom Denning. So, 9 were sold in January and 38 in February.

The expectation is that deliveries will accelerate from here as there is a 90-unit electric Volgren bus order in the pipeline for South Australia and a 151-unit order for New South Wales from Custom Denning.

Western Australia is transitioning to purely electric bus manufacturing. Apparently, it is just commissioning its 100th vehicle.

To put this in a global perspective, The Guardian tells us that: “Electric buses are just 1% of the Australian fleet compared with 80% in urban China, a quarter in the Netherlands and 12% in the UK.” Australia’s 42,800 diesel buses use approximately 530 million litres of fuel per year carrying about 50% of public transport users. In contrast, the rail system is largely electrified.

As CleanTechnica has reported previously: “Most [Australian] states and territories have targets to transition their fleets. Canberra and greater Sydney will be fully electric by 2040. E-buses already make up about 24% of the Australian Capital Territories fleet.”

“Each electric bus is powered by 100% renewable electricity produced in Australia, they are cheaper to operate and not reliant on foreign fuels,” the ACT transport minister, Chris Steel, said. South Australia will hit 81 e-buses this year — about 8% of the fleet — while all new buses bought in Victoria are electric.

Roger Cook, premier of Western Australia, recently announced on Facebook the 100th locally produced BEV passenger bus. “We’ve just rolled out WA’s 100th electric bus — built right here in Western Australia. Every bus being built in WA is now 100% electric, as we move toward a fully electric bus fleet. It’ll help to cut emissions, while providing more options for affordable public transport. And building them here is helping diversify our economy, and creating quality local jobs for West Aussies.” Of course there are those rubbishing the transition, trotting out the usual FUD with added political flavouring — lack of charging, fire risk, breakdowns, etc. You might like to take a stroll through the comments for your amusement.

Transport for NSW has just taken delivery of 22 new BZL electric buses from Volvo Bus Australia. They are expected to enter service from July and be available when passenger flights commence from the new Western Sydney International Airport. I expect they will be needing a few more!

“We are excited to deliver these electric buses to Transport for NSW. Volvo is the largest automotive employer in Australia, employing over 1,400 people – of which over 400 employees are based in New South Wales, many of those supporting these buses,” Volvo Bus Australia general manager Mitchell Peden says.

“We are ready to support these buses with two state-of-the-art dealerships based in Prestons and Blacktown, and our National Parts Warehouse based in Minto. Our team has extensive experience delivering electric buses to government organisations and we hope to showcase our expertise with this order to the NSW government.”

Volvo is continuing to put safety first, equipping the BZL with advanced features “including a comprehensive electric safety architecture that can prevent malfunctions and damage to the traction system.” Volvo has partnered with TAFE (Technical and Further Education) NSW to develop specialised safety courses, educating the service staff for the future.

Cameron Rimmington, a senior policy officer at the Electric Vehicle Council, commented: “E-buses are by far the most impactful way to cut emissions from public transport.” But the benefits of electric buses aren’t contained to reducing carbon emissions.
“Every bus running on Australian-made electricity is a bus that isn’t dependent on the strait of Hormuz, isn’t spewing exhaust into our communities, isn’t contributing to lung cancer or childhood asthma, and they’re so much quieter – for commuters and communities alike,” Cammeron adds. Energy independence means we are resilient against fuel supply shocks.

Electric buses need rapid charging and convenient charging. This is being rolled out by government and private investors. New South Wales has completed the first of 11 planned electric depot conversions, and in Victoria, Kinetic has opened a new depot with overhead charging.

RMIT University’s Prof Jago Dodson points out that the current crisis in both supply and price of diesel is changing the cost–benefit calculations of transport companies. “From a simple security point of view, there’s probably a premium to be paid – to know that no matter what happens outside of Australia, we can still run our bus fleets on electricity,” he said. In terms of public transport provision, it is easier to commission buses than to build a rail line. In the newer outer suburbs of our capital cities, where the ability to access services depends on owning a car, the provision of an electric bus service can be life changing.

Here is an insightful comment from our last article on electric buses — Mazter writes from the UK:

“Only anecdotal, but I have some friends who don’t drive, and use buses locally. Where we are in the UK, our city has been moving to BEVs for quite a few years (buses, vans, rubbish trucks etc).

“Friends told us they much prefer the BEVs, so much quieter and smoother, and as they have a young boy, and are very environmentally minded, the lack of diesel fumes is a big, big plus.

“My house, and dog walking is on one of the many BEV bus routes. It really is odd (though I’m starting to get used to it) how quiet these buses are. The motor noise is so low, you can hear the tyres on the tarmac — that slight slapping noise, like a bicycle on damp roads. Really cool.”

As electric buses roll out globally, the transport world will become more energy diverse and self-sufficient, less prone to external shocks and pressure. Although Australia has been a laggard in the area of electric buses, progress is being made and the future for public transport is looking bright and electric.