Tranzit well advanced in Electrifying bus journey

Tranzit Turning a diesel fossil-burner double-decker bus into an EV was a Southern Hemisphere first.

South Wairarapa Rebus Club News

Turning diesel fossil-burner double-decker buses into EVs is one trick which Masterton-based Transzit mastered with the launch of its 100 percent battery-powered bus.

This successful prototype, a Southern Hemisphere first, now carries passengers in Wellington, and in the coming months Tranzit’s second “Repower” conversion will be finished. 

Tranzit’s 42 electric buses in Wellington have 3 million km under their tyres, saving 1.8 million litres of diesel and reducing CO2 emissions by 4,900 tonnes.

Over the next 12 months Tranzit will introduce 42 e-buses into Palmerston North’s new and expanded bus network, in partnership with Horizons Regional Council, helping it become NZ’s first city to have a 100% e-bus fleet. In addition, more e-buses will be introduced into Auckland and regional New Zealand, and more “Repower” buses are in the pipeline.  

These facts emerged at a recent meeting of South Wairarapa Rebus Club when Paul Snelgrove, managing director of The Transit Group gave a talk entitled “Tranzit: Our Repower Bus Journey.”

He took the group on a journey which began in 1924/5, when his grandfather Albert Snelgrove, started the company with a fleet of grey buses _ because you could only buy grey paint at the time.

Today Tranzit is the largest family owned-and-operated bus and coach company in New Zealand, with its Head Office still in Masterton.
The company’s growth, particularly in the last 10 years, has been extraordinary. Tranzit has over 2,000 staff and operates 2,500 vehicles from Cape Reinga to Bluff while its 10 plus workshops give them a competitive edge over other coach companies, because they service their own fleet.

Now operating in tourism, public transport, school bus services, charter/events, rental cars and the growing electric bus sectors, The Tranzit Group oversees brands including Tranzit Coachlines, Tranzurban, Tranzit Tours, Pacific Tourways (Auckland) Ltd, InterCity (50% shareholder), Kiwi Experience, Bus Travel Ltd and Cros  Country Rentals.

Paul and his brother Keven are at the helm of this fourth-generation operation, with their children part of the senior leadership team.
In 2014, the pair began to investigate battery-operated buses with the long-term view of making their fleet more sustainable. 

In partnership with Auckland University of Technology (AUT) they obtained funding from EECA (Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority)’s Low Emission Vehicles contestable fund and travelled widely researching new technology to introduce into New Zealand. 

This led to Tauranga based Kiwi Bus Builders building the first commercial 100% battery-powered electric bus, called EV1, launched in 2018.

This now shuttles AUT students between their North-City and South-City Campuses.

Since then, Tranzit has incrementally introduced 41 Kiwi-built electric double decker buses into Wellington and significantly invested in charging infrastructure to power these. This includes “fast” chargers, where buses are charged from 20% to full charge in less than 15 minutes.

In addition, more e-buses will be introduced into Auckland and regional NewZealand, while more “Repower” buses are in  the pipeline. Even though Hydrogen is too expensive at the moment, the company is researching its future viability for long distance InterCity coach travel.

At the same time, Tranzit has upskilled many of its diesel mechanics to automotive electrical engineers and welcomed young apprentices to help grow the industry. The company’s loyal staff are also on Tranzit’s journey to advance climate-change goals. 

(South Wairarapa Rebus Club: https://southwairaraparebus.com  meets in the South Wairarapa Working Men’s Club at 9:45am on the fourth Friday of each month. As a visitor. please introduce yourself at the door from the rear carpark or contact John Reeve 021 560 461).