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https://thedriven.io/2026/06/30/australias-first-locally-made-electric-bendy-bus-hits-the-road/>
"Australia’s first locally made electric “bendy” or articulated bus has been
unveiled in Perth, the first of two to be rolled out by local public transport
operator Transperth.
The two bendy buses are being built in Perth at local bus manufacturer
Volgren’s Malaga facility atop the BZL Electric Articulated platform from
Volvo, a low-floor, fully electric articulated chassis that measures 18 metres
in length and seats 57, or over 100 including standing passengers.
Volvo’s rigid version of the BZL Electric has been operating in Australia since
2022 after the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia (PTA) became the
country’s first transit operator to deploy Volvo electric buses with Volgren
Optimum bodies. There are now more than 140 Volvo BZL Electric buses operating
nationally.
The BZL Electric Articulated is fitted with 497 kWh of lithium iron phosphate
(LFP) batteries and a dual-motor setup with a total 400kW of power. Recharging
the buses takes approximately four hours.
“This is a genuine ‘Australia first’, and the Volvo BZL Electric Articulated
has been built right here in Perth,” said Mark Fryer, director of product &
industry for Volvo Buses Asia Pacific.
“It was developed with the Australian market in mind, and specifically to meet
the needs of the PTA, an operator we have partnered with for more than a
decade. Bringing a brand-new electric platform to market, locally bodied and
tailored to the needs of the Perth transit network, is something we are
incredibly proud of.”
The two buses are expected to begin testing along routes in Perth’s northern
suburbs in the coming weeks, before entering full service some time around
August."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
