2015-04-07 Item 2 - Attachment 1 - Pre feasibility Study of Electric Bus Routes

  Heavy Vehicle (Transitional) National Regulation
  Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation
  Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989
  Motor Vehicle Standards Regulations 1989
  Australian Design Rules
The above legislation and regulations above contain numerous requirements for buses.
However, specific requirements for electric buses were not identified. A broad definition of a
bus is used in the legislation i.e. “motor vehicle with seating capacity for 9 or more
passengers”. Buses in the legislation are not defined on the basis of fuel type or propulsion
system (e.g. battery).
The electric bus for the trial will also need to comply with all State and Commonwealth
government laws in relation to vehicle accessibility standards and vehicle emission
standards, and in particular with the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport
(DSAPT) 2002 and accompanying guidelines under the Commonwealth Disability
Discrimination Act 2002 (DDA).

International Jurisdictions

The situation in international markets in terms of legislation is more advanced, with selected
legislation available and roadmaps regarding light duty electric vehicles in development. In
the United States, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has established a
standardisation roadmap for electric vehicles, with version 2.0 published in 2013. The
roadmap, which is only concerned with light duty vehicles, aims to develop standards in the
safety, performance and interoperability surrounding electric vehicles and their supporting
charging infrastructure.

In 2002, the State of California issued an interim certification procedure for model hybrid-
electric vehicles in the urban bus and heavy-duty vehicle classes. However, regulations for
heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles are still in development. During the interim,
manufacturers are permitted to sell hydrogen fuel cell or electric battery heavy-duty vehicles
in California without an Executive Order from the Air Resources Board.
In the European Union, a draft directive endorsed by the Transport and Tourism Committee
in 2013 requires that member states install a specified number of electric vehicle, hydrogen
and natural gas stations by 2020. Electric vehicle charging point targets for Germany are
86,000, Italy – 72,000 and the UK – 70,000.

The operation and maintenance of electric road vehicles are regulated usually at national
levels but also on the EU level such as through Regulation No. 100 of the Economic
Commission for Europe of the United Nation (UNECE) which is concerned with the approval
of battery electric vehicles. However, EU legislation largely tends to avoid differentiating
between different types of fuels or vehicle types. Reports have noted that electric vehicles
are largely compatible with regulation for convention fossil fuel vehicles with exception in the
electrical and fire safety regarding batteries

5.3     Consultation with industry stakeholders
Industry consultation informed the study in regard to the electric vehicle standards,
legislation and policy described above. As the trial is taking place in Queensland we also
contacted the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (Transport Regulation
Branch). They noted that any electric bus used in the trial will need to comply with the
requirements for buses under the relevant legislation. Additionally, they noted that the




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