New Zealand, Dunedin contracts add 37 electric buses to Kinetic’s 355-vehicle zero-emission fleet in the country

Kinetic announces it has secured two long-term contracts in New Zealand’s Dunedin, that will see 37 new electric buses introduced from 2026, shifting around half of the city’s services to zero-emission operation.

The Otago Regional Council (ORC) has awarded Kinetic, operating through its Go Bus brand, two nine-year public transport contracts with a combined value of about NZD100 million (around USD 60 million). The agreements commence in October 2026 and represent one of the largest single zero-emission bus expansions undertaken in Dunedin.

Kinetic is currently the largest mass transit operator in Australasia, with over 12,000 buses and 400 trains operated across seven countries through its various subsidiaries. The group also holds a 51% stake in the UK-based Go-Ahead Group. In late 2025 Kinetic has entered into an agreement with U.S.-based investment firm TPG, under which the latter will acquire a 70 percent equity interest and become the company’s majority shareholder.

Kinetic to operate public transport in Dunedin

Under the contracts, 37 battery-electric buses will be added to the network, bringing the total number of Kinetic-operated zero-emission buses in the city to 53. Once deployed, electric vehicles will operate approximately half of Dunedin’s bus services, supporting ORC’s objective of achieving a fully zero-emission fleet by 2028.

In New Zealand, Kinetic already operates around 355 zero-emission vehicles nationwide, positioning the group as one of the country’s leading zero-emission public transport operators. Globally (including the Go-Ahead-operated fleet), the group operates more than 1,500 zero-emission buses across 33 electrified depots.

Services will be operated from Go Bus’s Portsmouth Drive depot, completed in 2025 and purpose-built for electric bus operations, with additional support from an electrified satellite depot in Mosgiel. The project builds on Kinetic’s existing electric operations in Dunedin, where early deployments have already entered service, Kinetic states.

Kinetic Group CEO Michael Sewards said: “This contract win is another example of Kinetic delivering on our commitment to accelerate the transition to zero-emission fleets in the cities we operate. We don’t just operate contracts – we invest in the depots, charging infrastructure and fleet needed to make zero-emission transport possible. From our purpose-built Portsmouth Drive depot in Dunedin, to technology such as overhead gantry charging systems in Auckland and Melbourne, we’re building the infrastructure that supports cities transition to cleaner, quieter public transport and we’re proud to be leading that transition across our global network.”

Kinetic Managing Director (New Zealand) Calum Haslop added: “This contract allows us to build on that leadership, with 37 new electric buses joining our existing Dunedin fleet from October 2026. By the time these buses enter service, we’ll be operating 53 zero-emission buses in Dunedin, supporting ORC’s goal of a fully zero-emission fleet by 2028. “Our team in Dunedin has already demonstrated what’s possible – our existing electric buses have received fantastic feedback from passengers and drivers alike, and we’re excited to expand that experience across more of the network.”