Ritchies and Auckland Transport (AT) teams are celebrating the opening of two new bus depots in Māngere this month, which marks a major step in the move toward a cleaner, smarter bus network.
The new purpose-built depots located at Oruarangi Road and Ascot Road, have been built as part of a nine-year, $1.068 billion contract AT awarded to Ritchies earlier this year, which will deliver expanded bus services to south and west Auckland.
The new Māngere depots will support more than 250 drivers and operations staff and see the introduction of 102 state-of-the-art electric buses to the Auckland bus fleet.
“This represents a significant milestone on AT’s Mission Electric journey towards electrifying the fleet and creating a cleaner, quieter, more comfortable experience for travellers on the network,” says Stacey van der Putten, AT Director of Public Transport & Active Modes.
“Our focus is on delivering a safe and reliable transport system that reduces emissions, minimises impacts on human wellbeing and the environment and makes a meaningful contribution to improving the productivity of movement in our city”
Customers can expect to see the impacts of the new depots immediately, with new and improved bus routes starting in Māngere from November 2. These changes will provide better connections to Middlemore Hospital, train stations and the airport industrial area. These changes are funded by Auckland Councils Climate Action Transport Targeted Rate (CATTR).
Michele Kernahan, CEO of Ritchies Transport Holdings Ltd, says the Māngere openings mark the next phase of Ritchies’ long-term investment in innovation and sustainability.
“These depots bring together our newest electric fleet and next generation charging and safety systems,” she said.
“Every electric depot we build is pre-wired for future expansion, allowing us to scale up quickly as Auckland grows. We’re proud to work alongside AT to deliver cleaner transport and smarter infrastructure for the growing communities of South Auckland.”
The Oruarangi Road depot is fully electrified and equipped with advanced smart-charging technology that calculates and delivers the energy each vehicle requires for its next run – with a built-in safety buffer for traffic or delays – ensuring efficiency without compromising the power grid.
- The inclusion of zero emission buses and advanced environmental standards at the depots aligns with Mission Electric and sustainability goals to significantly reduce carbon emissions, contributing to a cleaner, greener Auckland.
- The new electric buses prioritise customer safety, with next-generation safety systems, including collision-avoidance radar, lane-departure and pedestrian-detection alerts, and AI-driven driver-monitoring technology that tracks fatigue or distraction in real time.
- Protective driver screens and multi-camera surveillance systems provide further protection for passengers and staff.
The new Māngere depots join Ritchies’ Hillside Road and Albany sites on the North Shore as part of a growing network of electric facilities.
Takanini, Pukekohe, Westgate and Swanson depots will follow in 2026, bringing the total to eight part-or fully electrified Ritchies depots across Auckland. Each is designed for flexible, smart energy management and has the capacity to expand over the coming decade.
