First Electric Double-Decker Busses in The World in New Zealand

Tranzit, the local public transport operator in New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington, was looking for a reliable solution to fast charge their 10 electric double-decker busses. This project was to be the first all-electric bus fleet to start operating in New Zealand and the very first all-electric double-decker bus fleet in the world. The versatile landscape in which these double-deck busses would operate was a challenge to be dealt with, along with becoming pioneers of the double-decker charging solution. 

Tranzit was interested in opportunity charging, which would allow the highest uptime and availability for their fleet. Heliox supplied 8 fast chargers together with the Bus-Up (roof-mounted pantograph) solution to charge the very first double-decker e-busses in the world. Heliox provided a combination of opportunity and overnight charging to meet the requirements, comprising five Heliox FAST DC 2x30kW chargers, two Heliox OC 450kW chargers, and one Heliox FAST DC 25kW mobile charger with a plug-in option for ultimate flexibility in the workshop. 

The 82-seat double-deckers would be fully charged overnight at the depot using the Heliox Fast DC (depot chargers) 2x30kW twin chargers, while topping up their batteries during the day were Heliox OC (opportunity chargers) 450kW at charging stations en route across the pre-defined network.

This project served as an excellent example of the strength of open interfaces and the open-source OCPP back-office communication, which gathered data from the infrastructure and the EV bus fleet.

As the fast chargers are compatible with any brand and models of electric busses that use opportunity charging, the solution allows the uptake of additional electric busses in the future.