A new heavy vehicle project where trailers are fitted with electric motors to cut fuel use by more than 40 per cent is among eight transport projects to share in $2.7 million in funding through iMOVE’s CRC awards.
iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) announced the eight winners in the second round of its Impact Extension Program (IEP2).
The program provides funding to help promising transport projects move from the lab into the outside world. Each grant ranges from $100,000 to $500,000 and all projects will be completed by September 2026.
iMOVE CRC is part of the federal government’s Cooperative Research Centres Program which brings industry, government and research partners together to tackle sector challenges, in this case those related to transport.
Since 2017, iMOVE CRC has supported more than 260 industry‑led projects worth over $90m, aiming to tackle problems in transport, freight, mobility, and sustainability collaboratively.
The low emission high productivity A‑double funded under IEP2 will see Electric Haulage Australia (EHAULA) and its partners Wettenhalls, Bulk Transport Equipment and Tiger Spider fit an electric motor to the small trailer unit that sits between the two trailers of an A-double, to help power the whole rig. By building and testing a full‑size prototype, the team aims to show that this system is safe, cuts fuel use by more than 40 per cent and could pave the way for updated rules on how powered trailers are designed and used.
Commenting on the iMOVE grant, Jerome Coleman, EHAULA’s finance director, said, “The impact will be felt most significantly across mining, agriculture and long‑haul logistics – sectors that carry the largest freight task and generate the highest emissions
“These are precisely the areas where innovation will deliver the greatest carbon abatement. We call on regulators to modernise the Australian Design Rules so we can safely deploy electric dollies and trailers across the country.”
The full list of funded projects can be found here.