Volvo Buses
Australia
Perth, Australia - The Volvo BZL Electric Articulated (BZLA), Australia’s first electric articulated bus and the first of its kind to be bodied locally by Volgren in Western Australia, was unveiled at Volgren’s Malaga facility on Thursday 25 June.
The vehicle was revealed at Volgren’s Malaga facility on the morning of Thursday 25 June, with WA Premier Roger Cook MLA and Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Transport, the Hon. Rita Saffioti, joining senior representatives from the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia (PTA), Volvo Bus Australia and Volgren.
The 18-metre, 57-seat bus is Volvo Bus Australia’s first low-floor, fully electric articulated chassis. Developed by Volvo Bus Corporation with the Australian market as a primary driver, it was engineered to meet the operational needs of the the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia (PTA).
Unlike competing electric articulated products, which are fully imported, the Volvo BZL Electric Articulated is bodied locally at Volgren in Malaga, supporting Western Australian manufacturing and local jobs.
Other electric articulated products remain fully imported and are yet to enter service.
The Volvo BZL Electric Articulated represents a different proposition: a genuinely new Volvo platform, built to Australian requirements and assembled by an Australian workforce.
The Volvo BZL Electric has been in service in Australia since 2022, when the PTA became the first operator in the country to receive Volvo electric buses – built on the Volgren Optimum body. With more than 140 Volvo BZL Electric buses now operating nationally, the platform is backed by an established base of technical knowledge, operator confidence and local support.
The relationship between the PTA and Volvo Bus spans more than a decade, with over 1,400 Volvo buses delivered into the Perth network. The launch of Australia’s first electric articulated bus marks a significant milestone in that ongoing partnership.
“This is a genuine Australian first, and it has been built right here in Perth. The Volvo BZL Electric Articulated was developed with the Australian market front of mind, and specifically to meet the needs of the PTA, an operator we have partnered with for more than a decade. To bring a brand new electric platform to market, locally bodied and ready for the Perth network, is something we are incredibly proud of.”
Says Mark Fryer, Director, Product & Industry, Volvo Bus Asia Pacific.
Thiago Deiro, Volgren’s CEO comments: “Building Australia's first electric articulated bus here in Western Australia is a genuine source of pride for our team. An 18-metre electric articulated is one of the most complex vehicles we body and bringing a brand-new platform to life takes real engineering capability and a local workforce with the skills to match. Delivering that here in Perth shows exactly what Australian manufacturing is capable of. None of it happens without the trust we've built with Volvo and the PTA over many years - a partnership we're proud to continue with this milestone.”
VOLVO BZL ELECTRIC ARTICULATED – KEY FACTS
ABOUT VOLVO BUS AUSTRALIA
Volvo Bus Australia is part of the Volvo Group, a global leader in sustainable transport solutions. Volvo has been delivering buses into the Australian market for over 50 years, with a strong focus on safety, quality and the transition to zero-emission public transport.
ABOUT VOLGREN
Volgren is Australia's largest bus body manufacturer, with production facilities in Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland. For more than 45 years, Volgren has built buses locally for operators and transport authorities across the country, with a focus on quality, durability and supporting Australia's transition to zero-emission public transport.
