New Sydney buses assembled in China months after Premier Chris Minns' government said fleet will be built in NSW
A fleet of new electric buses set for Greater Sydney have been built in China and not locally, months after NSW Premier Chris Minns' government said the state's South Coast would become a 'manufacturing hub'.
The NSW government announced in January that it had awarded vehicle manufacturer Foton a contract to build 126 electric buses at a new manufacturing facility in Nowra.
A statement by the government outlined a plan for the buses, which would be added to Greater Sydney's transport network, to be built at the 6,000 square metre bus factory from late 2025.
'The South Coast is set to become a new manufacturing hub for the next generation of public transport,' the statement said.
However, pictures posted on Foton Motor's Facebook page, which now appear to have been deleted, have showed over a dozen buses lined up at a Chinese facility before they were shipped to NSW, the Saturday Telegraph has reported.
Photos of the buses showed ribbons attached to the front of them, as it appeared a ceremony for the newly completed fleet was held, and another picture showed the unfinished interior of one of the vehicles.
It is understood some features such as Opal card reading devices will be added to the buses in NSW.
Mr Minns has defended the buses being built overseas, according to the masthead.
In January, when the Nowra facility was announced, the Premier said that under his government, bus builders in NSW were 'building them here again.'
'The offshoring of public transport by the former government was a complete disaster, which is why we're building these buses here in NSW – creating local jobs and public transport that works,' Mr Minns said.
'This state of the art facility in Nowra will create ongoing skilled jobs in regional NSW while also delivering emissions free world class public transport for the people of our state."
NSW Minister for Transport Jo Haylen had said 100 jobs would be created once the new facility in Nowra was completed.
'We want our local manufacturers and suppliers to have good opportunities to get involved in building the Zero Emissions Buses that we need. That's why we have structured our zero-emissions bus program in a way that builds our bus manufacturing capacity for the long term,' Ms Haylen said.
The Nowra factory site is yet to be developed and features such as seats will be installed on the newly built buses at a temporary site on the South Coast, according to The Saturday Telegraph.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
4 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Ford might develop future engines with outside firms, says executive
A senior Ford executive thinks customers no longer separate brands based on their petrol and diesel engines, and this might lead to the automaker developing new engines with suppliers or, maybe, rivals. According to Automotive News John Lawler, Ford's vice chair overseeing strategy, partnerships and alliances, told the Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference, 'I don't think that consumers really think about powertrains the way they did 30 years ago'. He told the conference, 'Where [internal combustion engines] defined what a vehicle was — the horsepower, the displacement, the torque and everything about the vehicle — I think a lot of that is gone'. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Part of this, Mr Lawler believes, is down to electrification, which allows automakers to increase power and torque, while reducing CO2 emissions, with hybrid or plug-in hybrid drivetrains. Mr Lawler posits this might lead automakers, including Ford, to develop next-generation engines with other companies. Doing so would save money that could help them compete with Chinese automakers. According to the vice chair, Ford needs 'to be competitive against them not only on speed of development, software capability, electrical architecture capability, but also overall electrification capability'. In 2022 Renault merged its Horse drivetrain division with that of Geely's Aurobay in the hopes of attracting customers for its engines and transmissions outside of the two automakers' stable of brands, which include Dacia, Volvo, Zeekr, and Lotus. It should be noted engine and drivetrain sharing between rival automakers, while not the norm, isn't completely unheard of. In the early 2000s Ford developed a V6 turbo-diesel in conjunction with the PSA Group, which was used in a wide variety of vehicles, including Australian Ford Territory, as well as the Citroen C5, Peugeot 407 and 607, and a whole host of Jaguar and Land Rover models. Other times, manufacturers just sign a supply agreement to fill a hole in their drivetrain lineup, such as when Toyota Europe used BMW diesel engines in the 2010s for a number of models, including the RAV4. Small manufacturers often rely exclusively on engines from other car makers, with Lotus, for example, using mills from Rover, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz. Ford is no stranger to collaborating with other car makers in other areas too. It currently shares a number of platforms with the Volkswagen Group, with the Volkswagen Amarok based on the Ford Ranger, and Volkswagen Transporter based on the Ford Transit Custom.
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
Ford might develop future engines with outside firms, says executive
A senior Ford executive thinks customers no longer separate brands based on their petrol and diesel engines, and this might lead to the automaker developing new engines with suppliers or, maybe, rivals. According to Automotive News John Lawler, Ford's vice chair overseeing strategy, partnerships and alliances, told the Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference, 'I don't think that consumers really think about powertrains the way they did 30 years ago'. He told the conference, 'Where [internal combustion engines] defined what a vehicle was — the horsepower, the displacement, the torque and everything about the vehicle — I think a lot of that is gone'. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Part of this, Mr Lawler believes, is down to electrification, which allows automakers to increase power and torque, while reducing CO2 emissions, with hybrid or plug-in hybrid drivetrains. Mr Lawler posits this might lead automakers, including Ford, to develop next-generation engines with other companies. Doing so would save money that could help them compete with Chinese automakers. According to the vice chair, Ford needs 'to be competitive against them not only on speed of development, software capability, electrical architecture capability, but also overall electrification capability'. In 2022 Renault merged its Horse drivetrain division with that of Geely's Aurobay in the hopes of attracting customers for its engines and transmissions outside of the two automakers' stable of brands, which include Dacia, Volvo, Zeekr, and Lotus. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Supplied Credit: CarExpert It should be noted engine and drivetrain sharing between rival automakers, while not the norm, isn't completely unheard of. In the early 2000s Ford developed a V6 turbo-diesel in conjunction with the PSA Group, which was used in a wide variety of vehicles, including Australian Ford Territory, as well as the Citroen C5, Peugeot 407 and 607, and a whole host of Jaguar and Land Rover models. Other times, manufacturers just sign a supply agreement to fill a hole in their drivetrain lineup, such as when Toyota Europe used BMW diesel engines in the 2010s for a number of models, including the RAV4. Small manufacturers often rely exclusively on engines from other car makers, with Lotus, for example, using mills from Rover, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Supplied Credit: CarExpert Ford is no stranger to collaborating with other car makers in other areas too. It currently shares a number of platforms with the Volkswagen Group, with the Volkswagen Amarok based on the Ford Ranger, and Volkswagen Transporter based on the Ford Transit Custom. Going the other way, the Ford Transit Connect is based on the Volkswagen Caddy, and the European Ford Explorer and Capri EVs are based Volkswagen MEB architecture. Prior to all this, Ford jointly developed a 10-speed automatic transmission for use in full-size pickup trucks with cross-town rival GM. MORE: Everything Ford
Sky News AU
8 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Albanese should find a seat at the everyday Aussie kitchen table where the bills are piling up, instead of looking for a place next to Trump
While Australians again struggled to afford fuel and basic groceries this week, the Prime Minister had in his sights another overseas trip to enhance foreign optics instead of fixing problems at home. Mr Albanese has now ditched a last-minute appearance at next week's NATO summit in The Hague, some 16,000 kms away, in the hope it would produce a face-to-face with US President Donald Trump. The decision to instead send his deputy Richard Marles follows the PM's scheduled G7 encounter with Mr Trump in Canada which was scuttled by President's early exit to address the Iran-Israel conflict. What we are now also witnessing in the aftermath of that snub is a diplomatic dance which underscores just how far Mr Albanese is willing to go to secure a seat at the grown ups' table. At home, Australians are hurting and the cost of living remains the number one issue in this country. It has been for three years, probably more. The PM needs to stop eyeing a meeting with Trump overseas and start restoring confidence in his government's ability to manage both domestic and foreign affairs in a strategic and strong fashion. Sure, the US President's brush-off was a diplomatic embarrassment especially as it lacked a private heads-up to Mr Albanese before publicly pulling the plug on their meeting. But it's time to move on. The real questions are these: when was the last time this government delivered a serious and immediate policy to cut household energy bills? When was the last time this government offered tangible relief to small businesses buckling under the weight of supply chain blowouts and relentless interest rate pressure? This week it was announced that a productivity roundtable in Canberra was in the works to 'shape our government's growth and productivity agenda'. But already this is being picked apart as a consensus talkfest if cutting net immigration and net zero targets are not seriously considered. I don't think we are dealing with an abstract economic trend here because for nine million Australians it has nearly reached the point of financial collapse. New research from comparison site Finder paints a grim picture. Nearly half the country is the cost of a cracked windscreen or dentist's bill away from the edge. The average savings for this group? A paltry $215 which in NSW I would argue doesn't even cover a week's groceries. I saw a 1kg bag of ordinary coffee beans at the supermarket this week for $80. Dishwasher tablets, 82 of them, for $78. There was plenty of room to move in the fruit and vegetable aisle, with the least expensive thing to buy some apple varieties I'd never heard of and likely tasteless and cold-storaged for months. You're trying your luck if you fancy 350g of multi-coloured mini tomatoes for under $6.50, punished for your caviar-style tastes. The frozen food aisle with the cheaper dinners like fish fingers and bulk meat pies was doing brisk business, however. Local Facebook group chat is dominated by members asking for money saving tips including what time of day do local supermarket staff appear in store with a yellow sticker gun to discount products. According to Finder, 43 per cent in the cohort referenced have less than $1,000 in a bank account. More than half live pay transfer to pay transfer and 47 per cent are banking on a tax refund to plug holes in the dam. And a $12 coffee? Don't laugh, it's coming to a cafe near you. When inflation is combined with supermarket gouging, international trade instability and policy gridlock, prices only go in one direction. In cafes, once the beating heart of urban Australia, small business owners continue to be crushed. Wages, energy, rent, beans, you name it. Roasters say stress on the international coffee bean market means the only solution is to jack up prices. This isn't indulgence anymore. It's economics at gunpoint. Meanwhile, those brewing at home are finding supermarket shelves are no longer a refuge. Instant coffee is probably booming but that's less about convenience and more about budget. And then there's fuel. If you're still planning on driving to work, brace yourself. Petrol is tipped to hit $2.20 per litre with Middle East tensions sending the global oil markets into panic mode and we're all meant to just accept it like it's the weather. Australia may not import oil from Iran but that's no comfort at the bowser. Our prices are still shackled to global markets which drives up costs at the pump while hammering fuel-reliant industries nationwide. Australia used to have several oil refineries and now we have just two - Queensland's Lytton Refinery operated by Ampol and Victoria's Geelong Refinery, operated by Viva Energy. We can blame globalisation and "market efficiency" for that and we now import most of our refined fuel. With petrol spiking, inflation stays high too so consider that in terms of the Reserve Bank delaying any long-awaited interest rate cuts. And let's not forget the cherry on top: fuel excise and GST. What's the domestic agenda? Because from where most Australians stand at the petrol pump, in the supermarket aisle or checking their empty bank apps, it doesn't feel like there is one. We don't need a seat at NATO next week. Mr Albanese has had months to build a relationship with the Trump administration and should now plan to see him in Washington. We need a seat at the kitchen table where bills are piling up and no one from Canberra seems to be listening. Louise Roberts is a journalist and editor who has worked as a TV and radio commentator in Australia, the UK and the US. Louise is a winner of the Peter Ruehl Award for Outstanding Columnist in the NRMA Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism and has been shortlisted in other awards for her opinion work
