Leading Australian transport and logistics company Centurion has rolled out 20 new battery electric trucks from Mercedes-Benz across the Perth greater metropolitan area, all of which are powered using energy from a 4.4MW rooftop solar installation.
Centurion announced in early 2024 that it would build Australia’s first 100 per cent renewable energy off-grid battery electric truck fleet.
The $29 million project, backed in part by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s (ARENA) Future Fuels Program, would integrate 30 battery electric trucks into the company’s existing fleet and use solar generation and off-grid battery energy storage to power the trucks.
Originally planned to be rolled out by the end of 2024, Centurion announced this week that it has been slowly rolling out its new eActros 300 electric trucks from Mercedes-Benz and is now operating 20 across its metro routes in Perth.
“The introduction of 20 electric trucks is an important milestone in Centurion’s sustainability journey,” said Justin Cardaci, Centurion CEO.
The 20 new eActros 300 electric trucks consist of a mixture of rigid and prime mover models, each of which feature the Mercedes-Benz e-axle technology and boast a range of up to 300 kilometres.
Ensuring that the electric trucks emit zero emissions during operations, the trucks are charged at Centurion’s Hazelmere depot using 15 dual-power slow and fast chargers powered by a 4.4MW rooftop solar installation and 10MWh of battery capacity.
“Centurion is demonstrating true leadership in the field of sustainable road transport and we are so excited to be part of this initiative with our eActros,” said Daniel Whitehead, president and CEO of Daimler Truck Australia Pacific.
“The Centurion team is showing that battery electric logistics is a reality now and is not just something for the future.”
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.