Metro welcomes its first electric double-decker bus – the lightest in the country!

On Monday 2 March 2026, the country’s first lightweight electric double-decker will officially join Metro’s fleet. Developed by global automotive innovator Geely and bus operator Kinetic, the bus is light enough that it doesn’t require a weight permit. It will help add extra capacity to our network where we need it the most.

The bus is intended to start on our Route 7 Halswell-Queenspark service and will be tested on several of Metro’s busier routes. 

It took almost two years to perfect this bus – this is the fourth version Geely made.The intense development and testing of this vehicle demonstrates how cutting edge it is.

Earlier prototypes didn’t meet New Zealand’s strict road weight requirements. This final version was engineered to comply fully, making it the first double-decker electric vehicle in the country to operate without a special permit. 

Built with aerospace-grade aluminium technology, similar to that used in the Airbus A380, the bus has a stronger and lighter frame than traditional steel construction – reducing road wear, tyre and brake use, and energy consumption.  

More than 30 engineers from across the industry worked on the project together, collaborating across time zones to make the vehicle a reality. 

The bus can take up to 95 customers including 14 standing downstairs. One feature of the new bus is a customer loading screen on the ground level to indicate how many seats are left upstairs. Cameras located on the upper level allow the driver to see who is deboarding, so they can wait the appropriate amount of time for customers to hop off once the bus has come to a complete stop. 

We’re looking forward to using this bus to better serve our community for the next 12 months. As the trial period goes on, we’ll be able to assess its benefits and consider our options going forward.

The double-decker is the first electric version in Metro’s fleet, and the second double-decker Metro has. It brings Metro’s total number of electric vehicles to 71, and even closer to its goal of having a fully electric fleet by 2035.