Wellington will see electric buses on trial for three months.

The wheels on the bus still go round and round, but this time they will be fully powered by electricity.

NZ Bus will begin this week trialling electric buses, or eBuses, in Auckland and then in Wellington, as part of its strategy to transition to electric-powered public transport in New Zealand.

The trial is expected to last three months.

In parallel with the trial, NZ Bus in the process of retro-fitting Wrightspeed electric powertrains to its existing bus fleet at its workshop in Wellington.

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NZ Bus chief executive Zane Fulljames said the eBus is significantly quieter to the current diesel and hybrid buses, but will look much the same.

"The trial will see if the buses can meet the challenges of New Zealand's unique topographical landscape, and the specific requirements of bus networks in Auckland and Wellington.

"As a business we are committed to leading the industry towards an electric-powered bus fleet, as was reflected in our announcement last year to invest $43 million in our existing fleet.

"Trialling eBus technology is about looking at options for the future in terms of our ongoing fleet replacement programme," Fulljames said.

"As a major transport operator, NZ Bus has the scale for investment of the kind these initiatives represent. We are committed to continuing to lead the industry and contribute to reducing New Zealand's carbon footprint through innovation."

The makers of the eBus, BYD Company, operate across six continents, 48 countries and regions, and 200 cities. They are the suppliers of the largest electric bus fleet in Europe and are in fleets across Canada, the United States, Chile, China, Singapore and Australia.