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An electric bus will be tested on Dunedin’s terrain and could herald the introduction of an electric fleet.
The GBV Enviroline 35-seater e-bus will join the Orbus Dunedin fleet for a month-long trial from September 28.
Drivers will have some training this weekend and Go Bus Dunedin depot manager Dave Gordon said the main difference for everyone to get used to was how quiet the vehicle was, compared with its diesel-fuelled counterparts.
Otago Regional Council transport manager Garry Maloney said the trial was a chance to see an electric bus take on Dunedin’s hills.
"We’re really looking forward to giving an e-bus a run around a few Dunedin routes and seeing how it performs.
"The four routes that are planned for the trial will take the e-bus around a good variety of terrains and travel durations.
"The aim is to get a sense of how an e-bus can handle the different hills, routes and the motorway in Dunedin, and how we might need to factor charging time into route planning."
Central government policy requires fossil-fuelled buses to be replaced by 2035.
"This electric bus trial will bring Orbus a step closer to reducing Otago’s transport emissions and making the bus an even more environmentally friendly mode of transport," Mr Maloney said.
Go Bus Transport chief executive Calum Haslop said Go Bus was proud to support the e-bus trial.
Dunedin passengers would have a chance to experience the "smoother, quieter, electric future of public transport".
"I know there are a few drivers who are keen to get behind the wheel and I’m sure passengers will share their excitement once the trial kicks off in a week’s time."
The electric bus was manufactured by Global Bus Ventures of Rolleston, Christchurch, formerly known as Designline.
Electric buses last operated in Dunedin from 1950 to 1982, but they were powered by overhead wires.