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Central Auckland's first new electric bus fleet will soon be zooming around the city.

The council agency Auckland Transport has struck a deal with operator NZ Bus to replace the existing diesel-powered fleet with state-of-the-art battery-powered buses.

Twelve electric buses are due to serve the red-liveried CityLink route around the CBD later in 2020.

Supplied/Auckland Transport An artist impression of the new CityLink electric bus, 12 of which enter service by the end of 2020

The city has been testing up to three electric buses for the past two years, and six will enter service on Waiheke Island later this year, partially replacing the island's diesel fleet.

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The CityLink move has been funded by Auckland Transport after re-negotiating the existing contract with NZ Bus.

CHRIS MCKEEN/STUFF Diesel buses on the City Link route will be replaced with battery buses.

The move will take to 11 the number of electric buses in normal service by the end of the year, from a fleet of 1360.

"This announcement is a small but crucial step forward as we lead Auckland's response to climate change," said Richard Hills the chair of the council's Environment and Climate Change Committee.

The removal of 12 diesel buses from the route, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 300 cars.

Todd Niall/Stuff An Auckland Transport trial ebus on the Inner Link route.

NZ Bus said the Auckland CityLink fleet would be the first in a large number of the Chinese-built buses that the company would deploy around the country.