The 50th Hybrid bus for CDC Victoria not only marks a milestone for all partners involved, but it also completes Australia’s largest hybrid bus fleet. This fleet is operating on Melbourne streets, delivering reductions in emissions, noise and fuel consumption while improving the passenger experience.
CDC Victoria’s Volvo Volgren B5L S-Charge hybrid buses have been designed to handle Victoria’s dense and demanding city traffic while enabling fuel savings of around 30 per cent and reducing climate-impacting carbon dioxide emissions by around 30 per cent compared to regular diesel buses.
These vehicles are also fitted with Volvo’s innovative Zone Management technology, which allows the buses to implement Safety Zones on particular routes as well as achieve zero emissions in designated zones by operating exclusively in electric mode. The system has optimised CDC’s existing hybrid buses, elevating the fleet to the next level of performance without relying on the electricity grid.
CDC Victoria’s CEO, Jeff Wilson, said the completion of the Melbourne hybrid fleet is a significant milestone in the company’s quest for reducing emissions.
“CDC is committed to reducing greenhouse emissions and we have demonstrated this through investment and ongoing research into the available and developing technologies which can help us with our environmental goals and assisting governments with achieving net zero emissions by 2050,” Mr Wilson said.
“The ready-for-use nature of Volvo’s hybrid technology has meant the hybrid bus fleet is already helping us to fulfil our goal of providing tangible environmental benefits while delivering our services without the need for major infrastructure changes.
“Receiving this 50th unit is also an exciting stepping-stone for CDC, as we are preparing to deploy eight new Volvo Volgren BZL Electric units progressively from November this year, as part of the Victorian ZEB trial,” he said.
Volvo Bus Australia’s General Manager, Mitch Peden, said it was a proud moment to witness the handover of the 50th unit and a pivotal milestone in CDC Victoria’s electromobility journey.
“We have been very fortunate to work alongside CDC Victoria and Volgren over the years and it’s an absolute honour see this major electromobility milestone for CDC, which is integral to Victoria’s transition to zero-emissions public transport,” said Peden.
“Through our wonderful partnership with CDC Victoria and Volgren, we have been able to monitor and optimise our technical capability when it comes to supporting this hybrid technology and it has been key to informing our high-voltage products moving forward.”
Yuri Tessari Chief Commercial Officer for Volgren said it was an absolute privilege to partner with CDC Victoria and Volvo Bus Australia to deliver the largest single order of Hybrid vehicles in the country.
“We really value our partnership with CDC and VBA, together we have delivered thousands of buses across Australia. To partner on the 50 Hybrids demonstrates not only their trust in our technological capabilities, but in our ability to handle large-scale orders."
Yuri said from day one of the order Volgren collaborated closely with Volvo’s technical and commercial teams on developing the best possible low-floor hybrid bus and delivering the state’s largest fleet of hybrids to CDC Victoria.
“Building Hybrids has been an essential learning curve for Volgren and without the experience, we wouldn’t be as advanced on building battery electric buses today. It has helped with our process and factory review, training, and safety procedures, as well as the initial exposure to high-voltage systems.
“It’s also allowed us to invest in the next generation of green jobs, strengthening local manufacturing and supporting around 100 suppliers we use to build every bus body in Victoria.”
