Kempower and JET Charge power Western Australia’s largest electric bus depot at Karrinyup
Perth’s largest electric bus depot has taken another step towards supporting Western Australia’s growing zero-emission public transport network, with the completion of a major charging infrastructure upgrade at the Karrinyup Bus Depot. JET Charge delivered the project end to end for Programmed, the facility manager for the Transperth bus network, completing the full electrical and civil design, construction, and commissioning, with Kempower supplying the charging hardware.
Delivered as part of the Western Australian Government’s transition to a fully electric bus fleet, the upgraded depot now features charging infrastructure to support the next generation of electric buses operating across the Transperth network.
The project forms part of a $250 million joint State and Federal Government investment to replace diesel buses with locally built electric buses while upgrading depots with the charging infrastructure needed to support fleet electrification.
Karrinyup is now the third completed electric bus depot for Public Transport Authority in Perth, following the successful delivery of Elizabeth Quay Bus Station and the Malaga Bus Depot. The site currently supports 71 electric buses, with capacity set to increase to 110 buses by the end of the year. To plan for future growth, the depot’s design allows for additional charging infrastructure and site upgrades to accommodate more electric buses, ensuring flexibility as demand continues to rise.
The depot has been equipped with 56 Kempower Satellites, providing in total 112 charging plugs, each capable of delivering up to 150 kW to support fast charging for the fleet. These chargers are compatible with standard CCS2 connectors, ensuring flexibility and ease of integration with a range of electric bus models.
Charger installation is only a part of depot electrification. At Karrinyup, JET Charge did everything from the design and the underground power works through to the safety and monitoring systems, then tested and certified the whole site to confirm the buses charge at the speeds the depot was designed for.
As public transport operators continue to transition to zero-emission fleets, depot charging infrastructure plays a critical role in ensuring reliable daily operations while enabling fleets to scale as demand grows. The new charging systems at Karrinyup Bus Depot not only reduce bus downtime but also enable more predictable scheduling by allowing multiple vehicles to be charged efficiently simultaneously. With advanced monitoring and diagnostic capabilities, maintenance teams can proactively identify and address any issues, supporting higher fleet availability and reducing unplanned interruptions. These improvements help deliver a more dependable and flexible service for both operators and passengers.
Western Australia’s electric bus rollout continues to gather momentum, with 173 electric buses already delivered, including Australia’s first locally manufactured electric articulated bus. Further depot upgrades are currently underway at Bayswater and Jandakot North with Kempower equipment.
The program represents another significant milestone in Australia’s transition to cleaner public transport, demonstrating how large-scale charging infrastructure is enabling cities to accelerate the shift to zero-emission bus operations.
“The Public Transport Authority of Western Australia continues to set a powerful example for the rest of the country, in accelerating the transition to zero-emission public transport. Together with JET Charge, we are grateful for the opportunity to provide charging infrastructure solutions that will help power the electric bus fleet in Western Australia through this significant project,” said Dylan Perera, Business Development Manager, Fleets (APAC) at Kempower.
“Bus operators are not buying chargers. They are buying the certainty that buses leave the depot on time, every day. That certainty comes from one party being accountable for the whole system: the design, the high-voltage works, the safety systems, the software integration and the commissioning. At Karrinyup we carried that end to end, so Programmed and the PTA have one number to call rather than a queue of contractors. That is where the risk is genuinely managed. Kempower gave us hardware we could stand behind, and we built the rest of the system around it,” said Tim Washington, Chief Executive Officer, JET Charge.
Further information
Anniina Ruhberg
Marketing Communications Manager, New Markets, Kempower
+61 434 092 987
anniina.ruhberg@kempower.com
About Kempower
We design and manufacture reliable and user-friendly DC fast-charging solutions for electric vehicles. Our vision is to create the world’s most desired EV charging solutions for everyone, everywhere. Our product development and production are based in Finland and in the U.S., with the majority of our materials and components sourced locally. We focus on all areas of e-mobility, from electric cars, trucks, and buses to machines and marine. Our modular and scalable charging system and world-class software are designed by EV drivers for EV drivers, enabling the best user experience for our customers around the world. Kempower shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. kempower.com
About JET Charge
JET Charge is Australia’s leading provider of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and technologies and is on a mission to accelerate the uptake of EVs by breaking down the barriers to EV charging. JET Charge are charging partners for many of the world’s largest vehicle manufacturers, leading corporates, and government agencies, and specialize in EV charging design, engineering, hardware, deployment, and technology. jetcharge.com.au
