First electric CAT bus hits the streets in Joondalup

Reports of a bright red cat roaming the streets of Joondalup have been confirmed, with the first battery-electric bus entering service on the northern suburb's CAT route today.  

Powered by lithium-ion batteries with minimal greenhouse gas emissions, the bus is the first of four electric vehicles to be rolled out onto the Joondalup route as part of a trial.

The cleaner, greener technology will be evaluated on a range of factors including safety, reliability, efficiency, performance, downtime, emissions reductions, life-cycle costs and risks, with its adaptability to Perth's climate and road network among the primary considerations.

As part of the rollout, modifications have also been made to the Joondalup bus depot.

This includes installation of a high-voltage electric vehicle charging system which will allow the electric buses to be recharged at the depot through a combination of the existing grid network and a 100 kilowatt solar power array connected to a large on-site battery storage system.

The four electric buses are being delivered under the Public Transport Authority's existing bus supply contract with Volvo, with the company committed to local production in Western Australia for any further orders should the trial be successful.

The new Purple CAT bus that services Kings Park, Perth Children's Hospital, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and the University of Western Australia commenced service on Sunday February 27.