Published: August 2025 | Category: General , Environmental sustainability , Research programme , Research & reports
This research was commissioned under the 2021 Government Policy Statement on Land Transport.
Battery electric buses (BEBs) have seen widespread adoption in recent years both in Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas as part of the global effort to decarbonise the transport sector. This rapid adoption has been enabled by supportive government policies, improvements in battery performance and reductions in battery prices. In addition to reduced carbon emissions, BEBs also offer improved air quality, reduced noise pollution and lower operating costs. Despite these benefits, there are still some challenges, including complex supply chains, greater vehicle weight and limited recycling capacity.
The purpose of this report is to investigate these challenges across a number of different areas, including environmental and social sustainability, supply chain security, battery degradation, mid-life refurbishment, second-life applications, battery fire risk, insurance considerations and pavement wear. An overview of technology trends is also provided in order to help show how potential future developments may be able to address some of these challenges.
Keywords:
battery degradation; battery electric bus; fire; pavement; supply chain; sustainability; zero-emissions bus
Authors:
