Electric trucks have the potential to reshape transport in urban areas if regulations are adapted to accommodate the new technology.
Diesel trucks are subject to curfews, preventing them from travelling through urban areas at certain times to reduce noise and disturbances.
In an ABC News article, Electric truck manufacturer SEA Electric’s Asia Pacific vice-president Glen Walker said if electric trucks were exempt, more businesses would be adding them to their fleets.
“In the context of trucks rumbling past houses, waking people up, an electric vehicle wouldn’t do that,” he said.
“You notice the wind noise past the side-view mirror. You notice a squeak in a seat.
“There’s an opportunity for silent delivery of freight of an evening.”
Mr Walker said it would also make it cheaper for running costs for EV fleets, which could charge during the day using solar.
“There’s little things like that, that could help us make the technology a little bit more mainstream,” he said.
Australia has been slow to welcome electric trucks to its’ roads with regulations halting the switch. The Queensland Transport and Logistics Council reported zero-emission trucks make up just 0.5 per cent of new sales in Queensland.
There is currently no electric heavy duty, long-haul trucks in Australia, but this is expected to change as Volvo has two demo prime movers enroute to Australia. Unfortunately, these trucks cannot be driven on Australian roads under current regulations.
“We’ve got demo vehicles on boats that we can’t drive,” Volvo’s e-mobility solutions manager, Tim Camilleri said.
“It’s coming more and more pertinent that we need to have an avenue to at least test vehicles, let alone sell them, and enable the industry to grow into this space.”
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