Melbourne, Kinetic upgrades Sunshine West depot with 38 new overhead charging points in order to operate +60 zero-emission buses

Transit operator Kinetic has completed electrification upgrades at its Sunshine West depot in Melbourne, preparing the site to operate 60 zero-emission buses by the end of 2026.

The project increases the depot’s charging capacity from 24 to 66 zero-emission buses, while the installed infrastructure has been designed to support up to 82 vehicles as further buses are introduced, according to information released by Kinetic.

The Sunshine West works have been delivered in partnership with the Victorian Government and include three overhead charging gantries, load management software, fast-charging equipment and an additional electrical kiosk.

Kinetic has already deployed overhead gantry charging infrastructure at its Preston depot in Melbourne, officially opened in early 2026 under Victoria’s Metropolitan Zero Emission Bus Franchise. The Preston facility was equipped with Victoria’s first overhead gantry charging system for zero-emission buses. Kinetic has also installed the technology at Glenfield in Auckland, where further charging infrastructure is planned as part of the operator’s 201-zero-emission-bus programme under Auckland Transport contracts.

Kinetic Sunshine West depot expands charging capacity

The first stage of the Sunshine West upgrade comprises three overhead gantries carrying 38 charging points. The structures have capacity for up to 54 charging points, Kinetic states.

The depot will accommodate 60 zero-emission buses by the end of 2026. They will be deployed on Melbourne routes 215, 216, 220, 223, 232 and 429, as well as on selected services connecting Fisherman’s Bend with the CBD.

Twenty hybrid buses will remain based at Sunshine West for operation on routes 901, 902 and 903, Melbourne’s orbital bus services.

The overhead infrastructure uses automated charging technology already introduced by Kinetic at its Heatherton depot. Charging equipment is positioned above the bus parking areas, while load management software distributes charging requirements across the site overnight according to the available depot power capacity.

Kinetic says the system is configured to ensure the vehicles are charged for morning operations while keeping electricity demand within the site’s power limits.

The project also includes two fast chargers for high-capacity opportunity charging. A second electrical kiosk has been installed to increase the power available at the facility.

According to Kinetic, the Sunshine West installation follows earlier overhead gantry projects at Glenfield in Auckland and Preston and Heatherton in Melbourne. At Preston, the overhead configuration uses pull-down cable reels to connect charging equipment to vehicle charging ports.

Sunshine West zero-emission bus fleet to reach 60 vehicles

Sunshine West was among the first Kinetic depots in Victoria equipped to charge electric buses under the operator’s Metropolitan Bus Franchise. According to Kinetic, electricity used for charging at the site comes entirely from renewable grid energy, while more than 300 solar panels provide additional energy to the depot.

Kinetic currently operates 64 routes across Melbourne. The operator has run services under the Metropolitan Bus Franchise since February 2022 and added the Metropolitan Zero Emission Bus Franchise in July 2025.

The company states that it operates more than one-third of Melbourne’s public bus network.

The Sunshine West upgrade was delivered in partnership with the Victorian Government. Kinetic says the charging infrastructure has been installed with additional capacity beyond the 60 zero-emission buses scheduled to be based at the depot by the end of this year.

In brief

• How many zero-emission buses will operate from Kinetic’s Sunshine West depot?
  Kinetic says 60 zero-emission buses will be based at the Melbourne depot by the end of 2026.
• How many electric buses can Sunshine West charge?
  The upgrade increases charging capacity from 24 to 66 buses, with infrastructure designed to support up to 82.
• How many charging points have been installed?
  The first stage includes three overhead gantries carrying 38 charging points, with capacity for up to 54.
• Which Melbourne routes will use the zero-emission buses?
  Routes 215, 216, 220, 223, 232 and 429, plus selected Fisherman’s Bend-CBD services.

Kinetic Managing Director (Australia) Matthew Campbell said: “By the end of this year, Sunshine West will operate 60 zero-emission buses. For a depot of this size, serving a part of Melbourne that relies heavily on its bus network, that is a significant shift. We have built in headroom deliberately. The infrastructure here can support more zero-emission buses than we will have at the depot this year, so we are ready as more arrive. Alongside Heatherton, Sunshine West shows what can be achieved by upgrading depots already in service, working closely with the Victorian Government and with our building and bus manufacturing partners.”