The federal government’s move to increase trucks’ width limit will bring Australia in line with major overseas markets and help increase the uptake of electric heavy vehicles, says the Electric Vehicle Council.
The overall width limit of trucks will increase from 2.50 metres to 2.55 metres, which will align with standards used by major supplier economies.
The EV industry has been calling for the change for several years, says Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) chief executive Behyad Jafari, adding the EVC congratulates the government for working collaboratively with industry and other stakeholders to deliver this important change.
“Increasing the width limit of trucks brings Australia in line with major overseas markets, like the EU, which is vital if we want to increase the supply of electric trucks on our roads,” he says.
“Being out of step with international regulation has restricted the supply of electric trucks into Australia. Aligning these standards will make it simpler and cheaper for Australian operators to access electric trucks, while also improving productivity, freight efficiency and safety.”
Jafari says Australia depends on trucks to deliver goods, meaning they make up around one-fifth of the country’s transport emissions.
“Having more electric trucks crossing the country will reduce transport emissions, improve air quality, cut the cost of freight and reduce operating costs for owners as we decrease our reliance on expensive, imported fuel,” he explains.
“As the adoption of electric trucks accelerates around the world, it’s vital that Australia stops falling behind.
“Increasing the width limit is a great first step, but we need to keep the momentum going to support our country’s electrification of trucks.”
The EVC encourages the federal government to introduce a mass concession (one tonne minimum) for electric trucks, and to make it cheaper and attractive for Australian businesses wanting to embrace this technology.
“More broadly, we need a National Electric Heavy Vehicle Strategy that outlines a plan to decarbonise our heavy vehicle fleet over the long haul.”
