One of Australia’s largest providers of household removals and business relocation services Grace Removals has introduced a Foton T5 EV as Australia’s first fully electric removals truck to its household moving vehicle fleet.
The company, which can trace its roots back to 1885 and the iconic Grace Brothers retail and home services empire, is now looking to take leadership in the sustainability stakes through eco-friendly practices within the removals sector.
“We are incredibly proud to be at the forefront of this exciting transition,” says Grace Group managing director Craig Page.
“Our new electric truck represents a significant milestone in our ongoing journey towards sustainable operations.
“It’s more than just a new vehicle; it’s our commitment to our clients and the planet.”
It marks the beginning of Grace’s plan to introduce electric trucks and small vans, complemented by high-capacity solar-generated charging infrastructure across all its Australian capital city branch locations within the next two years.
Grace Removals’ transition to EVs aligns with the global trend with the electric truck market projected to expand to 2.8 million units by 2030, according to the Global Electric Vehicle Outlook 2022.
Set for use in the busy Sydney metropolitan area, the Foton T5 EV is well suited to the rigours of stop-start urban deliveries.
“We congratulate Grace Removals on taking leadership in the sustainability race through the delivery of their first all-electric Foton T5 EV,” says Foton Mobility Distribution light duty vehicles general manager Bill Gillespie.
“Companies across the country are quickly coming to the realisation that sustainable solutions are ready to deploy now, and they not only contribute to improving an organisation’s carbon footprint, but they also stack up financially from day one.
“With the price of diesel continuing to rise, for companies like Grace who are combining all-electric transport with base solar, it simply makes a lot of sense.”
The Foton T5 EV comes as standard with a fully loaded 180km range, supported DC fast charging seeing the drive batteries replenished in 1.5 hours, or 7.2 hours for overnight charging via the onboard 11kW AC system.
The model can be deployed for a wide range of final applications and is available with a rated GVM of 4500kg for car licence operation, or 6000kg for light rigid licenced drivers.
Many safety features are included, such as a low-speed pedestrian warning system through to the full suite of electronic braking and stability support, dual SRS airbags, reversing radar, buzzer and more.
Foton Mobility Distribution is the wholly Australian-owned local distributor of Foton Global zero-emission products, with a nationwide dealer network from Cairns to Perth, with local parts and service teams nationwide.
The Foton T5 EV comes with a five-year/200,000km vehicle warranty, and an eight-year/300,000km traction battery warranty, with 24/7 roadside assistance provided by NTI Truck Assist.
