Two electric buses are set to hit Auckland roads this week.

Auckland Transport is trialling the British built buses at a cost of $1.7 million.

They will operate on the City Link Service.

Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter says it will help local and central government learn and plan for large scale deployment of zero emissions buses.

"What is great about the trial is it will give us some ability to test what sort of battery life and distance is needed for electric buses to work well in Auckland."

The buses will be quieter and produce zero emissions.

$500,000 of the cost was provided by the Government’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.

Ms Genter says the trial will test the battery life and distance needed for electric buses to work well in Auckland.

"Buying an electric bus means that you are spending less on petrol and you don't have the added health costs from particulates and what not, so it's not that much more expensive than regular buses."

Despite the hype surrounding these new buses, they are not the first electric buses to operate in Auckland.

Earlier this year, the very first fully battery-powered electric bus started servicing AUT's Northcote and Manukau campuses.