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In this episode of The EV Charging Podcast, hosts Dan Carson and Jeff Sykes sit down with Gareth Ridge, the country manager for Zenobi Energy, to explore how one company is transforming commercial transport. Zenobi began in the UK developing grid‑scale storage and expanded to Australia in 2020. Ridge recounts his journey from banking to the energy sector and explains how Zenobi designs, finances and operates turnkey electrified depots for buses and trucks.
The conversation delves into two headline projects: the Leichhardt bus depot in Sydney and a pioneering off‑site charging hub built for Woolworths’ last‑mile delivery fleet. Ridge explains how Zenobi’s 15‑year contracts include solar, batteries, chargers and mid‑life battery replacement, delivering a total cost of ownership on par with diesel.
He also introduces Zenobi’s second‑life battery business, which repurposes bus and truck batteries for stationary applications such as construction sites. Looking ahead, the discussion touches on vehicle‑to‑grid potential, the electrification of heavier vehicles and the next wave of megawatt‑scale charging.
Key takeaways
- De‑risking fleet electrification: Zenobi removes barriers by funding and operating electrified depots. Clients avoid upfront capital outlay and pay a service fee comparable to running diesel vehicles.
- Pioneering bus depot: The Leichhardt project, built with Transgrid and supported by ARENA, is electrifying a 240‑bus depot. Solar and storage cut peak demand and enable total cost of ownership parity with diesel.
- Off‑site charging hub model: Space and grid constraints led Woolworths to partner with Zenobi on a multi‑user hub. Situated on surplus utility land in Botany, it has a 1 MVA connection and 22 dual‑gun DC chargers (120 kW each) for up to 44 delivery trucks. Software throttles charging to stay within the site’s power limit.
- Economic tipping point: Ridge argues that once the economics of electric trucks match diesel, adoption will accelerate. Light‑ and medium‑duty trucks are already competitive; heavy prime movers are approaching parity.
- Second‑life batteries: Zenobi repurposes mid‑life bus and truck batteries to displace diesel generators on construction sites or boost grid connections. Early deployments show significant fuel savings and validate residual values.
- Future innovations: Vehicle‑to‑grid services, electrified cement mixers and megawatt‑class chargers are on the horizon. Battery costs are falling and warranties improving, creating opportunities across transport and energy.
About Gareth Ridge and Zenobi
Gareth Ridge began his career in banking but soon moved into the energy sector. He worked at Transgrid and collaborated with Zenobi on the Leichhardt bus depot project before joining the company as its first Australian employee. Zenobi started in 2019 in the UK, focusing on grid‑scale storage, and entered Australia in 2020. It now has about 25 staff locally and 300 globally.
The company has three business arms:
- Grid‑scale storage: Developing large batteries to support the grid.
- Electric fleet services: Funding and operating charging infrastructure for bus and truck fleets.
- Second‑life batteries: Repurposing used bus and truck batteries into stationary units, thereby extending their value and reducing waste.
Ridge notes that Australia is Zenobi’s second‑largest market after the UK and that the company prioritises technology‑agnostic solutions, selecting the best chargers, batteries and software for each project.
The Leichhardt bus depot: de‑risking electrification
Zenobi’s flagship Australian project is the Leichhardt bus depot in Sydney. Developed with Transgrid and supported by an ARENA grant, the depot is being upgraded to handle 240 electric buses. Zenobi funds the entire infrastructure — including rooftop solar, a large stationary battery and depot chargers — and provides operation and maintenance for 15 years. Each bus battery is replaced at mid‑life (around eight years) and the removed pack is repurposed for a second life.
The key point for fleet operators is that Zenobi delivers total cost of ownership parity: the service fee to operate the electric fleet is about the same as the cost of running diesel buses. This model de‑risks electrification by eliminating capital expenditure and technology uncertainty, while the integrated solar and storage systems mitigate peak‑demand charges and provide backup during outages.
Woolworths’ off‑site charging hub
Space and power constraints at Woolworths’ Mascot fulfilment centre made it impractical to install enough chargers on site. Zenobi proposed a multi‑user off‑site charging hub on under‑utilised Ausgrid land in Botany. The site sits above a spider‑web of high‑voltage cables, so all infrastructure is built above ground. Key features include:
- Power and layout: A 1 MVA connection feeds 22 dual‑gun DC chargers capable of 120 kW each. Cables run around the perimeter, and the switchboard is raised for flood protection.
- Software control: Zenobi’s software throttles charging to stay within the site’s power limit and can respond to demand‑response signals from the grid.
- Business model: Woolworths leases capacity for 20 delivery trucks (about half of the chargers); the remainder is available to other fleets under long‑term agreements. Users pay for guaranteed access, not per‑use, ensuring vehicles are charged and ready for morning deliveries.
This model addresses grid and space constraints and provides a template for electrifying fleets in dense urban areas. Ridge emphasises that off‑site hubs won’t be the only solution — some fulfilment centres will have sufficient power on site — but multi‑user hubs are an important tool in the mix. For more on the economics of charging at home versus public networks, see our guide to EV charging.
Economics and total cost of ownership
A recurring theme in the conversation is total cost of ownership (TCO). Zenobi’s projects aim to make electric fleets cost‑competitive with diesel from day one. The Leichhardt depot shows that with the right combination of solar, batteries and financing, operating costs can match diesel.
For Woolworths, Ridge says the decision to electrify was driven by numbers rather than subsidies. The supermarket chain already had about ten electric trucks in operation, providing data to model energy use and charging needs. Location was critical: the hub had to be close to the fulfilment centre to avoid expensive “dead running” (driving empty trucks back and forth).
Ridge predicts a tipping point as battery prices fall and home chargers become more affordable. Once TCO parity is reached for heavy trucks, he expects a rapid shift as operators electrify to avoid being left at a cost disadvantage. For homeowners interested in the economics of storage, see our discussion of whether home battery storage is worth it and the EV charger price index.
Second‑life batteries: extending value and reducing waste
Zenobi’s third business arm repurposes bus and truck batteries into stationary units. Under the Leichhardt contract, each bus battery is replaced after roughly eight years. Rather than scrapping it, Zenobi tests, recalibrates and integrates the pack into a containerised system equipped with inverters and management software. These second‑life units are used to:
- Displace diesel generators on construction sites, saving fuel and emissions. Ridge notes that pairing a second‑life battery with a smaller generator can cut diesel consumption by about half.
- Boost limited grid connections, allowing EV chargers or cranes to operate without expensive infrastructure upgrades.
- Provide backup power at petrol stations or remote sites.
The company originally used “first‑chance” batteries from accident‑damaged vehicles to prove the manufacturing process; it has now produced around 50 units. As more fleets reach mid‑life, hundreds of batteries will become available. Ridge explains that before repurposing, some packs may be used in lighter applications — such as school buses — until their state of health drops to about 60 percent. He also observes that real‑world battery degradation is often less severe than early forecasts, with many packs retaining 80–90 percent capacity after ten years.
Vehicle‑to‑grid and future heavy vehicles
Vehicle‑to‑grid (V2G) services are on Zenobi’s roadmap but remain in the experimental phase. Warranty restrictions, operational complexity and unproven commercial models make it difficult to rely on V2G revenue today. However, Ridge sees strong potential in applications like school buses, which sit idle for most of the day and could provide valuable grid support. For more on bidirectional charging and V2G technologies, see our guide to V2G and related concepts.
Ridge also highlights emerging opportunities in heavier vehicles. Zenobi is working on electrified elevated work platforms, pump trucks, cement mixers and mining equipment. While weight and range remain challenges, he notes that additional axles and improving battery energy density are making these applications viable. He expects at least one megawatt‑class charger to be deployed this year, enabling fast turnaround for heavy prime movers. The company is also exploring electric ferries in New Zealand and bus depots in Wellington and Melbourne. For businesses considering fleet electrification, our overview of commercial EV charging provides further context.
Why this matters
Electrifying buses, delivery trucks and other commercial vehicles is a crucial step toward decarbonising transport. These fleets represent a significant share of urban emissions and noise; replacing diesel engines with electric drivetrains delivers immediate benefits to local communities. Zenobi’s model shows that with smart design and financing, the transition can be cost‑neutral from day one. Off‑site hubs provide a template for cities where space and power are scarce, and second‑life batteries maximise resource use while avoiding landfill. As battery costs fall, warranties improve and megawatt‑scale charging arrives, the electrification of heavy transport will accelerate — bringing us closer to a cleaner, quieter and more resilient energy future.
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