Early adopters of battery electric trucks in Melbourne will soon have their own dedicated charging hub, thanks to $12.3 million in funding from the federal government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
Mondo Power (Mondo) says the money will be used to help develop, construct and operate the facility in Melbourne’s west to demonstrate the technical and commercial feasibility for fleets to electrify their operations.
Located in Laverton North, the hub will consist of 14 dual plug electric vehicle chargers and will be “purpose built” for heavy battery electric vehicle (BEV) trucks.
The funding will support the installation of fit-for-purpose truck charging infrastructure, as well as partly offset the total cost of ownership for 20 heavy BEV trucks, Mondo said.
Construction is scheduled to start this year with the first trucks expected to plug in before the end of 2026.
Mondo said it will partner with several truck manufacturers to supply heavy BEV trucks to trucking and transport customers, as well as technical support, trials and long-haul demonstrations.
Mondo will also enter into charging services agreements for charging hub membership to customers to provide site access and high-speed truck charging services.
The charging hub membership will include access to the charging hub, set pricing for charging, amenities and driver vehicle parking options.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the project underscores the agency’s commitment to supporting innovation solutions that will accelerate decarbonisation across the heavy transport sector.
“Through Mondo’s project, we’ll be able to highlight to the heavy transport sector how electrification can be integrated into their existing business models and drive down the high emissions from transporting goods on our roads,” Miller said.
“Transport plays a vital role in Australia’s economy and contributes around 22 per cent of emissions. By backing first of kind innovation like this, we can accelerate the sector’s adoption of clean technologies and bring us closer to our net zero goals.”
Mondo said the hub is the first asset in a series of electrified freight corridors it is developing (including Hubs and at-depot charging) to further support the decarbonisation of the freight industry.