The Commonwealth is funding electric buses in Far North Queensland. 

In a new project backed by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), $4.75 million in funding from the Driving the Nation Fund will go to Cairns tour and charters operator Tropic Wings for its Sustainable Transport in Tourism Project.

The project will support Tropic Wings to transition nearly a third of its fleet to electric with the delivery of 12 electric buses.

ARENA funding will contribute to the installation of 11 electric vehicle chargers, associated enabling infrastructure and two battery energy storage systems (BESS). 

The BESS helps to optimise the electrical infrastructure upgrades needed while providing Tropic Wings with short-term storage of renewable electricity and resilience during storms and emergency situations. 

The project will also support the use of several EV bus models that are yet to be seen on Australia’s roads.

The project follows Tropic Wings’ purchase of a single, battery-powered bus in 2019, the first to be used in Australia outside of the public transport sector.

Tropic Wings is a family operated business running tours from Cairns to the Daintree, Kuranda and other local attractions, as well as a busy charters operation.

In collaboration with the Electric Vehicle Council, Tropic Wings is expected to turn the lessons from the project into a blueprint for transitioning to battery electric vehicle (BEV) fleets for the tourism sector.

The Driving the Nation Fund includes $500 million to invest in cheaper and cleaner transport. ARENA currently has an active Focus Area related to Innovation in Charging with $70 million of funding available to support innovation in both public charging and management of charging.