Victoria’s first overhead gantry fast charging bus depot
JET Charge delivered the electrical and EV charging infrastructure for Kinetic’s new Zero Emission Bus depot in Preston including Victoria’s first overhead gantry bus charging infrastructure. The depot supports the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP)’s Metropolitan Zero Emission Bus Franchise, with the first electric bus entering service in December 2025 and 58 electric buses planned over the coming years.
The challenge
Kinetic needed charging that is safe, fast, reliable and practical for drivers, without sacrificing depot space or creating operational complexity.
At Preston, the challenge was to deliver a large-scale, high-power charging precinct that could transition from a greenfield construction site into a live operational depot, while still being designed for long-term fleet growth.
The solution needed to be:
- Safe and intuitive for daily driver use
- Scalable as more electric buses are introduced
- Resilient, with protection and backup power built in
- Future-proofed for planned network upgrades
- Delivered on schedule despite grid constraints
The solution
JET Charge delivered a full end-to-end depot charging solution at Preston under a Design, Supply and Install contract, covering everything from HV supply through to charging hardware, civil works, protection systems, communications and commissioning.
The site was purpose-built as a dedicated EV charging precinct, not retrofitted into an existing layout. At its core is Victoria’s first overhead gantry DC charging system, keeping cables off the ground, improving driver safety, reducing congestion and maximising hardstand space.
The depot includes 56 electric bus charging bays powered by Kempower DC infrastructure (up to 160kW per outlet), plus 20 staff AC chargers, all supported by a high-capacity electrical backbone designed to scale. HV infrastructure operates at 6.6kV today and is rated for a future 22kV upgrade, with 2.74 MVA DNSP connection capacity and 5 MVA transformer capacity already in place.
To manage grid constraints and protect project timelines, JET Charge also deployed an interim BESS solution to enable commissioning and operational readiness while awaiting permanent supply.
The results
Kinetic now has one of Victoria’s largest zero-emission bus charging hubs, designed for real depot operations and long-term fleet growth.
Kinetic now have:
- 56 operational electric bus charging bays
- A safer, more space-efficient charging layout using overhead gantries
- A future-ready electrical backbone, designed for 6.6kV today and 22kV tomorrow
- Built-in resilience, with protection systems and backup generation
- A scalable platform that supports staged fleet expansion without costly rework
The result is a safe, scalable and future-ready depot charging platform, built to grow with the fleet without costly redesign or rework.