A $44.3 million project involving a trial of 60 battery electric (BEV) heavy duty trucks is due to start soon in Western Sydney.
The 24 Daimler Fuso eCanters and 36 Volvo eFLs will be deployed over 18 months from early next year as part of the Team Global Express parcel delivery fleet.
The company’s Bungarribee site will be upgraded to include a depot and BEV charging infrastructure using renewable energy after the peak Christmas period.
Team Global Express says it has partnered with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) for the largest trial of a heavy electric logistics fleet in Australia and will share its knowledge with ARENA and other industry providers for the benefit of the entire logistics industry.
ARENA will provide $20.1 million in funding, in addition to Team Global Express contributing a $24.2m investment.
Team Global Express says it aims to reduce the emissions profile of its 6500-strong heavy transport fleet, following the large-scale trial.
The trial will place Team Global Express at the forefront of EV adoption in the Australian logistics sector, says group chief executive Christine Holgate, adding it’s an important step toward progressing Australia’s pathway to reduce emissions and secure a net zero future.
“This trial will not only reduce emissions, it will also give our valued employees at Bungarribee the opportunity to be trained on charging, driving and optimising the electric vehicles of the future,” she says.
“For Team Global Express, it’s an important milestone in our vision to be Australia’s most sustainable logistics company.”
The Bungarribee site in Western Sydney will host this trial due to its strategic location, the nature of the operations and the suitability of the existing facilities to host the necessary battery and charging infrastructure for the fleet, the company explains.
The project will see nearly one third of Team Global Express’ Western Sydney fleet transition to electric trucks and operate under a ‘back-to-base’ model with travel from distribution centres to customers in residential and urban areas, with the trucks returning to the depot for charging.
The BEV trucks will be powered and charged on-site at Bungarribee using on-site solar generation, the installation of a battery energy storage system and the use of renewable energy from the grid.
“I am so encouraged by the amazing response we have had from our people to put their hands up and volunteer to be part of this trial,” says Holgate.
“We often talk about the transition of workforces as we move away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. This is happening in real time at Team Global Express as we retire diesel-fuelled vehicles and replace them with EVs.”
The BEVs will service deliveries direct to customers in residential areas and commercial customers across a range of industries throughout the Greater Sydney area.
The benefits of the electric truck fleet will extend to local communities through reduced vehicle noise and improved urban air quality, while Team Global Express says its drivers will benefit from improved safety conditions through lower noise and vibrations and the general safety benefits of a new fleet with the latest technology, sensors and ergonomics.
