Jemena takes delivery of SEA electric truck with cherry picker platform

The Jemena Electricity Distribution Network in Victoria has just received its first electric Hino truck with Elevated Work Platform (EWP) in Australia.

Made by Melbourne’s SEA electric in collaboration with Niftylift, the elevated work platform truck will help reduce the operational carbon output of Jemena, which delivers electricity in Victoria and pipes gas in Victoria, ACT, Queensland and NSW, by 30 tonnes per year.

To make the truck, SEA electric took a Niftylift diesel cherry picker and converted it using one of its patented electric drivetrains and equipped it with a 138 kilowatt hour battery.

This gives it around 200 km of range for each single charge and the battery also powers the elevated work platform.

In addition to the reduced carbon emissions, benefits of switching to an all-electric work platform truck are less noise, for the workers and residents in suburban areas, particularly when fixing network faults at night, and the absence of toxic diesel emissions during operation.

“SEA Electric are a Melbourne-based manufacturer of electric vehicles and leader in converting commercial vehicles from diesel to electric” said Jemena’s executive GM for electricity distribution, Shaun Reardon.

“The cherry picker was converted into an electric vehicle as part of a major reconstruction over a 12-month period.”

SEA Electric says the electric cherry picker is an industry first, and is already in service.

“It’s been a special and historical project for the management and engineering staff at SEA Electric to partner with Jemena in the development of this Australian-first 100 per cent electric Elevated Work Platform service truck,” said SEA Electric sales director for Australia and New Zealand Joe Di Santo.

“Not only is this electric powered cherry picker the first step in greening our fleet, it will also benefit our customers with a quieter operation and zero exhaust emissions,” said Reardon.

“We will look for new ways to further reduce the carbon emissions across our electricity network in the future.”

The addition of the truck to Jemena’s fleet follows just days after Jemena announced a deal with Hyundai to supply green hydrogen for the car maker’s hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Jemena is also implementing other sustainable measures including rolling out 500 LED ‘smart street lights’ that use up to 75 per cent less energy than traditional lighting.