The Karrinyup bus depot in Perth’s northern suburbs has become the latest site to receive electric vehicle charging infrastructure, marking another milestone in Western Australia’s shift toward a fully electric public bus fleet.
The upgrade forms part of a $250 million joint initiative between the federal and state governments aimed at phasing out diesel buses across the state while rolling out new electric charging infrastructure throughout Perth’s Transperth network.
Under the jointly funded program, 130 electric buses have already been delivered, alongside the charging infrastructure and depot upgrades needed to support them.
Karrinyup now stands as Perth’s largest electric bus depot, following the completion of similar upgrades at Elizabeth Quay Bus Station and the Malaga Bus Depot.
The Karrinyup site has been fitted with 56 dual electric bus chargers, providing a total of 112 charging plugs.
The depot currently operates 53 electric buses, with that number expected to rise to 110 by the end of the year.
WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said the initiative reflects a broader effort that goes beyond local bus manufacturing, also ensuring the necessary infrastructure is in place to support a cleaner and more sustainable public transport system for the future.
The buses will be charged at the site before departing on routes stretching as far as Joondalup to the north, Fremantle to the south, and Ballajura to the east.
“With 11 new electric buses entering service each month, the depot upgrades we’re rolling out across Perth will ensure we can keep pace with demand while building in the capacity needed to keep this momentum going over the coming years,” said Saffioti.
“Manufacturing electric buses in WA is an important way the Cook and Albanese governments are diversifying our economy, supporting local jobs and cutting emissions across our public transport network.”
EV charging specialist JET Charge carried out the retrofit, which included substation and CCTV upgrades in addition to the charging equipment.
The broader works also involved reconstructing the depot yard, adding extra parking for drivers, installing new line marking, and refurbishing driver and staff facilities.
Further upgrades are underway at the Bayswater and Jandakot North depots, which will eventually support up to 130 and 82 electric buses respectively once complete.
Planning is also progressing for additional depot upgrades at Welshpool, Joondalup and Claisebrook to accommodate the state’s expanding electric fleet.
The rollout ties into the state government’s Made in WA plan, which aims to diversify the state economy and create local jobs through domestic manufacturing.
The last diesel bus for the Transperth network was built more than a year ago, and every bus added to the fleet since has been an electric vehicle manufactured locally in Malaga.
So far, 155 electric buses have been delivered under the program.
Among them is Australia’s first locally manufactured electric articulated bus, often referred to as a bendy bus, with a second unit nearing completion.
Both bendy buses are expected to begin road testing in the coming weeks ahead of entering service in Perth’s northern suburbs.
One of the new buses is expected to be based at the Karrinyup depot from September.
Government officials say the electric bus program reflects a broader commitment to reducing emissions from public transport while supporting local industry and employment.
The transition is expected to deliver long-term environmental benefits by cutting diesel emissions across the network, as well as economic advantages tied to local manufacturing and infrastructure investment.
With depot upgrades continuing across Perth and manufacturing output steadily increasing in Malaga, the state’s public transport network is on track for a substantial shift away from diesel-powered buses in the coming years.
Authorities have indicated that further depot announcements are likely as the rollout continues to expand into other parts of the metropolitan area.
