Victoria is the first state or territory in Australia to announce the permanent removal of one of the main hurdles for heavy-duty electric trucks to operate on local roads.
The state this week announced it would allow heavy duty electric trucks to operate with a 7.5 tonne weight on the steer axle, considered essential for heavy duty electric trucks because of the design and positioning of the batteries.
The permission will apply to certain roads identifies under a Low/Zero Emission Heavy Vehicle (LZEHV) access map, and is has been welcome because it is the first time the concession has been made permanent, rather than just a trial.
The Victorian government announcement follows a Federal government announcement to allow wider trucks up to 2.55 metres through the Safer Freight Vehicles package. The previous 2.5 metre width limit and 6.5-ton steer axle weight limit were two key barriers preventing electric trucks from operating on Australian roads.
While this is a positive move for Victoria, more work is needed to unify rules and permanently remove these barriers elsewhere in Australia. South Australia and New South Wales have introduced higher axle weight limits on a trial basis only, while other states and territories are yet to announce any changes for electric trucks.
The announcement from Victorian Minister for Ports and Freight, Melissa Horne, took place at a Freight Decarbonisation Summit this week, hosted by the Department of Transport and Planning.
“Achieving substantial reductions in transport sector emissions will require us to rapidly reduce the existing petroleum-fueled vehicle fleet and shift freight to rail whilst we begin the transition to zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs) powered by clean energy,” Horne said.
Volvo Australia, so far the only manufacturer to offer a full range of electric heavy vehicles, has been leading calls for the weight concessions for zero-emissions heavy vehicles to facilitate the adoption rate needed to meet Paris Agreement emissions targets.
“We’ve been very clear that without legislative changes such as these, we won’t as an industry meet the emissions targets that we are all working towards,” says Martin Merrick, President and CEO of Volvo Group Australia.
“I applaud the commitment shown by the Victorian Government by taking these steps. We’ve made our commitment to both industry and society that we will be at the forefront of zero-emissions transport, and I’m heartened to see government taking steps along this journey as well.”
Tim has 20 years experience in the IT industry including 14 years as a network engineer and site reliability engineer at Google Australia. He is an EV and renewable energy enthusiast who is most passionate about helping people understand and adopt these technologies.