A Hyundai Mighty 7.3 tonne electric truck has returned to Perth to complete the first lap of Australia in an electric truck.
Driver Jon Edwards and his support team were welcomed at the Midland premises of scrap metal recyclers and journey sponsor CD Dodd, The Driven reports.
The 26 day 13,600km journey intended to show electric trucks’ capability.
The trip included detours to Canberra and Whyalla, says The Driven.
A heatwave in the north and strong headwinds on some of journeys between chargers were encountered, says The Driven, adding that each leg was carefully planned based on the known available charge in both the truck battery and an extra battery carried on the tray, totalling 180kWh, the truck carrying 2.5 tonnes.
Air temperature, wind speed and direction came from Google, influencing consumption the most, after speed.
Average consumption for the journey was 45kWh/100km but varied between 38kWh and 58kWh/100km, says The Driven.
“In energy terms, that average is the equivalent of 4.5 litres/100km of diesel, pretty amazing for a heavy vehicle.”
The e-truck averaged about 80km/h, partly because of the poor condition of many roads, particularly across the Northern Territory and Queensland where sections made even 60kmh uncomfortable, says The Driven.
It says Edwards estimated that based on Ampcharge prices the trip would have cost $3200 in electricity, compared with about $7400 for diesel.
The e-truck maintained an unchanged 98% state of battery health despite having no battery thermal control, says The Driven.
“The main issue was that neither battery nor motor temperatures are permanently displayed and are difficult to access in the menu when driving.
“This could have avoided some battery thermal overload while charging in extreme heat, and a motor overheat in mild conditions on a long hill coming into Sydney, causing an unexpected and immediate loss of speed on a motorway.”
The EV charging network along the way is generally OK, says Edwards who saw CD Dodd’s new Volvo electric FM prime mover which can carry up to 50 tonnes, so don’t be surprised if that does an Australian lap as well.
