Seymour is pioneering the green revolution with Seymour Passenger Service’s first electric bus hitting the road this week.
The bus is one of three zero-emission electric buses to be acquired by the company.
This means that by midyear Seymour will be the first town in Australia to have a fully electric bus fleet.
While passengers will get to enjoy a new-look and ‘new bus smell’, it’s what is under the hood that marks the real change.
The bus has no engine. Instead they are powered by electric charging stations created by Victorian infrastructure company Mondo.
Aside from the environmental benefits, buses without a diesel engine are a lot quieter when driven.
The buses are also taller than an average bus, due to the batteries that are housed on the roof.
Luckily, and thanks to some clever planning, they have passed arguably the biggest test in Seymour — clearing the Anzac Ave underpass.
Inside the bus, technology is also state-of-the-art, with screens to display messaging such as upcoming stops and passenger information.
Seymour Passenger Service’s fully electric fleet is one of six across Victoria taking part in a state government zero-emission bus trial.
In the trial 50 electric buses and two hydrogen buses will be rolled out across Melbourne, Traralgon and Seymour.
The trial will inform Victoria’s transition to electric buses for public transport.
General manager of Seymour Passenger Service Stuart Locke said Seymour was in a unique position as the only town in the trial with the full route of service using only electric buses.
“I think the government will get a really good snapshot of how the electric buses perform,” Mr Locke said.
By 2025, all new buses on Victoria’s public transport routes will be zero-emission.