Melbourneâs next generation trams could be trackless with rubber wheels Weâre sorry, this service is currently unavailable. Please try again later. Dismiss Save Normal text size Advertisement Rubber wheels. Electric batteries. No overhead wires. This could be the future for Melbourneâs trams. By 2025, brand-new trams will be cruising through Melbourneâs streets, thanks to a $1.5 billion Andrews government injection to fund 100 ânext-generation tramsâ. Nimble, low-floor and energy-efficient, the new vehicles will replace lumbering A and Z-Class trams built in the 1970s and 1980s. Number 67 tram on Swanston Street in Melbourneâs CBD. Credit:Chris Hopkins Two manufacturers have been shortlisted to design and build the trams: French rail manufacturer Alstom â which acquired former tram manufacturer Bombardier â and a joint venture comprising Spanish rail maker CAF and UGL.