Overview
- ARENA will invest $25.3 million in NewVolt to build three high‑power charging hubs around Melbourne, with 24 bays sized for heavy trucks and capacity to service 50 to 100 vehicles.
- New Energy Transport and ANC completed a first end‑to‑end electric delivery from Sydney to Canberra on a single charge, cutting energy costs by 84 percent while hauling bulk toilet paper for Who Gives A Crap.
- The charging sites are due to open over this year and next, with the first hub planned for Melbourne’s west and later expansion up the Hume Highway toward Sydney.
- Fleet operators report sharp diesel cost spikes that add $400 to $500 per truck per day, and 22 industry groups have urged federal action to speed electric truck uptake and build charging.
- Barriers persist as batteries trim payload by about 4 to 4.5 tonnes and route needs can outpace charging, while retrofit firms like Janus Electric push swappable packs after converting 25 trucks at costs that can reach about $750,000.