Australian trailer-first promises to cut diesel costs by up to 50 per cent

Australia’s first commercially available driven powered trailer system has officially launched, delivering fuel savings of up to 50 per cent on diesel, said its South Australian makers.

The VE Motion Powered Trailer System electrifies the trailer rather than the prime mover, delivering propulsion assist, regenerative braking and onboard power for trailer-based systems.

VE Motion said the result is significantly lower diesel use, improved vehicle performance and reduced emissions, while continuing to operate with the trucks fleets already own.

“They deliver real fuel savings, of up to 50 per cent on diesel, more power and better efficiency, without forcing operators to replace fleets or change how they work,” said VE Motion co-founder and CEO Dean Panos.

“That is why we built VE Motion, to make that solution work for Australian conditions.”

The system, which was first revealed to industry at TruckShowX in 2024, has been engineered, integrated and brought to market in South Australia, with the powered trailer systems built and assembled in Murray Bridge.

VE Motion co-founder and CEO Dean Panos said the idea for the system came from a simple observation that diesel remains the most expensive and highest-emission fuel in Australia’s energy mix, yet it still powers almost all heavy transport.

“From our background in power generation, it was clear that electrification makes sense for heavy transport from an operating cost perspective,” Panos said.

“The problem is that full-electric trucks come with very high capital costs, added mass, range limitations and operational disruption. That is why uptake has been almost non-existent.”

Panos said powered trailers offered a practical alternative.

VE Motion designs and builds heavy duty trailers as well as electrified systems, giving the team firsthand experience into what freight operators need on the road.

“Our motivation was to rewrite the value equation for the transport industry,” said Panos, who co-founded VE Motion with Stephen Bussenschutt.

“We did not want hype or theory. We wanted to build something useful – equipment that cuts fuel use, reduces emissions and improves performance, without adding headaches. The industry does not want disruption. It wants gear that works.”

The VE Motion Powered Trailer System is now commercially available and has been demonstrated operating on South Australian roads as part of a heavy vehicle combination.

Unlike full-electric vehicles, the system operates as a plug-in hybrid. It provides electric propulsion and energy recovery when conditions allow, and can operate in diesel only mode when required, ensuring vehicles are never stranded by range or charging constraints.

“All of the system integration, control architecture, development and testing has been done here in South Australia,” Panos said.