Volvo Buses has unveiled Australia’s first electric articulated bus, the BZL Electric Articulated, bodied by Volgren for the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia (PTA). The 18-metre, 57-seat vehicle extends a platform with more than 140 units already operating nationally, following the PTA’s first Volvo electric bus deployment in 2022.

The e-bus is powered by a dual-motor EPT802 drivetrain producing a combined 400kW, with 497kW/h of total installed battery energy across 12 lithium iron phosphate cells and CCS2 charging support.

Volgren, Australia’s largest bus body manufacturer, fitted the body at facilities in Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland. Built on four years of BZL Electric rigid deployments, the model extends an established national operator base and support network.

Volvo Buses has delivered over 1,400 buses to the PTA over more than a decade. The articulated model extends that relationship into high-capacity urban transit.

In a statement, Mark Fryer, Director, Product & Industry, Volvo Buses Asia Pacific, said: “This is a genuine ‘Australia first’, and the Volvo BZL Electric Articulated has been built right here in Perth. 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.”

Source: Volvo Buses