South East Queensland Hauliers (SEQH) has unveiled a world-first electric triple road train which will soon begin operations at the Port of Brisbane.
The 53.5m Volvo FH-powered combination, believed to be the world’s biggest of its kind, will cart empty containers between the port and SEQH’s nearby base in Hemmant.
The factory-built FH will go into work alongside SEQH’s new Volvo FM which will also cart empties as a 30.35m A-double when all the paperwork is signed off with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).
SEQH Deputy Managing Director Nathan Craner told Big Rigs that both will run as singles in the interim but expects to have them up and running in their full capacity by the end of June.
Speaking to guests at the official launch at Port of Brisbane on May 27, SEQH Managing Director Brett Plummer said the electric trucks are another example of SEQH’s core values of innovation, collaboration and partnership.
He reminded the VIPs that SEQH had also teamed with Volvo, Haulmark Trailers, Port of Brisbane, the NHVR and the Department of Transport and Main Roads to introduce the first A-double in the same room 15 years earlier.
“The combinations you’ll see here today are world-firsts and are the start of our low-carbon 2B PBS vehicles,” Plummer said.
“It’s using electric trucks to drive high productivity vehicles. We’re confident they’ll be a revolutionary vehicle, much like our A-doubles.”
Plummer said the electric seed was first planted three years ago when Volvo invited himself and Craner to Sweden on a fact-finding mission.
“SEQH as a group sees a substantial task for electric trucks, not only in the high productivity electric combinations showcased here today, but also in the more traditional task of providing single trailer delivers to warehouses near and far.
“Thereby reducing SEQH’s carbon footprint in providing delivery services to our customers.”
Already, Plummer is confident the electric trucks will perform on a cost-parity with their diesel equivalents, pulling six-day double shifts within the port precinct.
The range on a single full charge for each truck should be around 300km. Daily short top ups mean they will only need to be fully charged once a week.
Ultimately, Plummer said SEQH plans to power the electric trucks entirely by solar energy.
“It’s a waste of time using a coal-fired power plant to charge these things up – that’s a false economy,” Plummer said.
“We’ve got a reasonably-sized solar set up at work, but we’re going to expand that.”
Unlike the ‘top end of town’, SEQH also made the plunge without any federal or state government subsidies or grants.
But he said that’s what SEQH does.
“We do stuff on our own – we get the numbers up to scratch and make sense and then we just did it.”
Plummer said the demand is also there from customers.
“We’re pitching for contracts now that are big on electric for last-mile deliveries.”
Plummer also said SEQH plans to buy more electric trucks to run single trailers, and could run as far as the company’s Toowoomba depot.
“As these things get better, there is an in-built advantage in that particular run. That range will charge them up.”
Vice President Volvo Trucks Australia Tom Chapman said Volvo is only just getting started with alternative fuel trucks as cooperation with the regulator, road managers and customers ramps up.
“We see way more opportunity,” Chapman said.
“At this point operators need to think differently. They can’t just think they want to do the same job with the electric truck as they would with a diesel.
“They probably need to work back from the truck and think, ‘what can I do?’
“Things like range and loads are impacted, but there are a lot of opportunity if you go looking for it.”
Chapman concedes, however, that the cost of the electricity does “make or break” the argument to make the switch.
“If you’re not paying eye-watering sums for your electricity then absolutely, the total cost of ownership equation does stack up.”
Chapman was also keen to stress, however, that the name of the game for Volvo is decarbonisation, not necessarily electrification.
“We’ve got a multi-pronged approach to decarbonisation,” he told Big Rigs.
“But they [SEQH] came back from that trip to Sweden understanding where electric would fit within their total business.
“They had a better appreciation for the product so therefore could understand and identify opportunities for that.”
Lauren Hewitt, Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Transport and Logistics Council, described SEQH’s investment in the new Volvo technology as a game-changer.
“Whether you believe in climate change or not, the future is electric, and it’s going to benefit us in a range of factors,” Hewitt said.
“SEQH’s announcement today that they’ve got the longest electric combination in history on the road is phenomenal. It’s a game changer for Brisbane, for the Port of Brisbane, for the urban area in general.”