In just a few years, electric vehicles have taken over Australian roads. From hybrid cars to fully electric vehicles, many households have replaced their old petrol or diesel engine cars with these green machines and reduce their carbon footprint to help the environment.

Now, recent events in the automotive industry suggest that electrification is bound to dominate commercial vehicles too. It seems Australia is gradually shifting to electric trucks, particularly in the transport and mining sectors.

Let’s discuss this awesome possibility by looking at the best available electric commercial trucks and see how and why they can become the future in Australia.

SEA Electric

On the forefront in assembly and electrification of commercial vehicles in the country and around the world is SEA Electric. It’s an Australian company, based in Victoria, that designs and manufactures electric vehicle drive trains that can be fitted to different donor vehicles. In July 2017, SEA Electric delivered nine fully electric trucks to King Transport. These 11-tonne vehicles can travel up to 200 kilometres on a completely charged battery.

According to SEA Electric, these trucks are best for small to medium-sized commercial vehicles that operate on a fixed route with overnight layovers. All the electric trucks sent to King Transport were retrofitted with modular Sea-Drive driveline technology by SEA Electric.

Three electric vehicle drive train models are currently available from SEA Electric. These models can fit the following:

  1. 5m to 7m van and minibus
  2. Trucks with 9 tonnes to 13 tonnes GVM
  3. Trucks with 14 tonnes to 17 tonnes GVM

SEA Electric was a recipient of the New Energy Jobs Fund grant from the Victorian government. The fund was allocated to companies and organisations developing clean energy solutions.

Read more about SEA trucks in our article ‘Australia Leading The Way In Electric trucks‘.

FUSO eCanter

Just last October 2019, the initial samples of the fully-electric FUSO eCanter by Daimler Trucks hit the Australian market and the initial reviews were revering the vehicle. Currently, eCanter is in production in Japan and Portugal. It’s now running in the streets of Europe, Japan, and the US. Soon, the eCanter will be available in Australia.

The FUSO eCanter has an electric drive system that produces 135kW of power and 390Nm of torque. It has a range of more than 100 kilometres on a fully charged battery, which can be recharged in less than two hours with a DC charger. The eCanter has a 7500kg GCM and 3000kg payload.

This electric truck is completely noise-free and can run at a top speed of 90km/h. Perfect for short-distance deliveries, the FUSO eCanter can be used by small to large-scale transport companies to save on fuel and running costs, and help save the environment with its zero-emission. Australia Post was one of the firsts to trial the FUSO eCanter last year and tested its capability in pickups and deliveries around Sydney CBD.

Looking for a new truck? Check out or Fuso Truck Loans & Finance page.

BYD Electric Truck

BYD, a Chinese EV giant, is set to offer the Australian market its two full-electric truck models. Partnering with Macquarie Group, BYD is about to deliver the T5 and T6 truck models, which are capable of a 300-kilometre range on a fully-charged battery. Both models will fit the operations of small and medium-sized logistics companies and significantly lower the operating costs.

Aussie businesses will be glad to hear that the BYD electric trucks can be acquired through financing. The NSW-based Nextport, an international business consultancy company, will be in-charge of BYD T5 and T6 distribution and support in Australia and New Zealand.

Volvo Electric

Last year, Volvo released two electric truck models on a limited number in Europe, the Volvo FL Electric and Volvo FE Electric. Businesses were impressed with their fast and effortless acceleration, as well as its low-noise capability. The FL Electric has a 16-tonne gross vehicle weight (GVC) capacity, while the FE Electric has a 27-tonne maximum GVC.

The two electric trucks were developed by Volvo for heavy-duty transport. According to the President of Volvo trucks, Roger Alm, the company’s close collaboration with customers allowed them to develop these electrified transport solutions to meet the high requirements in cargo handling and distribution. Soon, these Volvo Electric truck solutions will hit the Australian shores.

Let Aussie help you with Volvo Truck Finance.

Artisan Vehicle Systems

The California-based Artisan, recently acquired by Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology, manufactures battery-powered mining equipment. The company offers two long-haul dump trucks, A4 and A10, with 4 tonnes and 10 tonnes capacity, respectively. These machines produce zero emissions and have a self-loading battery system called PitStop. With the success of these electric mining trucks in North America, Artisan is eyeing Australia as its next target market.

Advantages of Electric Trucks

Now that we know the electric trucks that will soon be available in the country, the next question is why we actually need them. So, here are the advantages of commercial electric trucks.

  1. Quiet Operations – noise pollution is a massive problem in Australia’s big cities and electric trucks can significantly lower the noise level through their quiet operations. It will also allow trucks to operate during the early morning, which will help build a better traffic flow during peak hours.
  2. Zero Emissions – The use of electricity allows these trucks to have zero emissions, making them nature-friendly and helpful in creating cities with clean air.
  3. Better Driving – With its noiseless operations, zero emissions, and full power and torque from the get go, truck drivers will have a pleasant experience on the road.

Aussie Truck Loans

Commercial electric trucks can help businesses have a more sustainable solution for transport and delivery operations. We can see that these trucks are indeed the future of trucking in Australia. With the huge benefits involved, it’s just a matter of time before we see a greater number of commercial electric trucks running on the roads of all states and territories in the country.

Whichever type of business you own, it’s time to think about moving towards the electrification of your transport vehicles and help in creating a more sustainable environment. Aussie Truck Loans can help finance the new commercial electric truck for your company.

We specialise in finding the right truck loan and heavy vehicle finance that suits your business needs. Whether you are looking for a single vehicle or an entire fleet of electric trucks, Aussie Truck Loans can give the best finance solution with the most competitive rates for you.

Call us today on 1300 889 669 at Aussie Truck Loans or apply online to get a pre-approved loan for your new commercial electric truck.

Image curtsy of Diesel Magazine