As we head towards a federal election, both sides of politics have a commitment to net zero emissions by 2050.
While this is important for climate and environmental reasons, what does this commitment mean for trucking and what does it mean for your business?
What you won’t hear from politicians in this election campaign is it means we need a plan to get to 100 per cent of truck sales being zero emissions by 2040. Politicians trying to avoid admitting this won’t make it go away and it will leave industry unprepared for the future.
Do you know how the transition away from diesel will impact your business?
The global memorandum of understanding on zero emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles sets out an ambition of 100 per cent zero emission new truck and bus sales by 2040, with an interim goal of 30 per cent by 2030.
The Australian Trucking Association has endorsed this ambition, because we need to drive the policy changes to enable trucking businesses to move to zero emissions without going out of business.
If we don’t get to work on enabling operators to make the zero emissions transition in a way that works for their business, we risk having it forced on industry as governments realise their climate goals won’t be achieved.
Forced change risks higher taxes, and higher taxes risks putting operators out of business instead of enabling a zero emissions transition.
This transition will not be uniform – both electrification and green hydrogen will play critical roles. Electricity is already cheaper than diesel to power trucks and is likely to play a significant role for urban freight. Hydrogen has significant potential for longer haul and heavier haulage transport tasks.
Do you know which technology will better suit your operations?
Industry will drive the transition, but operators need to begin planning now for how they will position their business to take advantage of the opportunities from the transition.
What happens if your trucking competitor is no longer reliant on diesel prices, but it is still making up a large slice of your cost base?
Zero emission trucks can end the reliance of trucking on the volatile price of diesel, which never seem to stop from going up and up.
Over the next 18 years the trucking industry will undergo the transition to zero emissions, with far-reaching impacts that go beyond not just the energy source that powers our trucks.
Battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks hold significant potential for lower energy costs, lower maintenance costs, improved fuel security and the end of urban truck curfews.
But how will the transition to zero emissions impact you?
At Trucking Australia 2022, our plenary session on the transition to zero emissions will feature industry leaders Volvo, Toll Group and BP on how the transition will occur and what it will look like.
They’ll discuss when zero emission trucks will be available, when they will likely be cost-competitive, what zero emission trucks can do and the potential application of alternative energy sources across sectors and over time. These are the key questions about how this transition will impact your business.
Because this issue is so critical to the future of our industry, a second concurrent session will dig further into how we enable the transition, including key barriers and opportunities for trucking operators. We’ll have a closer look at the ground-breaking joint report from the ATA and Electric Vehicle Council on electric trucks.
If your business plans to be around for the future, the time to start planning for the zero emissions transition has arrived.
At Trucking Australia 2022 you can begin that planning as we hear from industry leaders on how the transition to zero emissions will occur.
Trucking Australia session:
Transitioning to Zero Emissions
May 5
10:45-11.45am
Speakers: Rachel Stringer, Gavin Rhoda, Peter Stokes, Paul Illmer
Net zero emissions by 2050. Both sides of politics have committed to it, but what does that look like for trucking? What you won’t hear from politicians in this election campaign is it means we need a plan to get to 100 per cent of truck sales being zero emissions by 2040.
Do you know how the transition away from diesel will impact your business? Do you know if electric or hydrogen will better suit your operations? Do you know how the transition will impact you?
Zero emission trucks – both electric and hydrogen – will be critical to the future of the industry. In this key session, industry leaders from bp, Volvo and Toll Group will discuss what the transition will look like, when zero emission trucks will be available, when will they will likely be cost-competitive, what zero emission trucks can do and the potential application of alternative energy technologies across sectors and over time.
- For more program information and ticket info visit here.
David Smith is the chair of the Australian Trucking Association.