Holcim, the global concrete giant that is the biggest in its field in Australia, is to conduct a six-month trial of an electric concrete truck in Australia as part of its efforts to deliver a lower carbon profit.
Holcim will use an e-Auman C electric truck made by Foton Mobility, the local distributor for its Chinese parent company, and will put it to the test at a remote mining site near Port Hedland in Western Australia, where it will be subject to extreme conditions.
If the trial is successful and the Foton truck is approved under Australian Design Rules (ADR) for public road use, it will further support Holcim in delivering its low-carbon concrete products.
“By replacing one diesel concrete truck with an EV we will eliminate approximately 42 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere each and every year,” said Cyril Giraud, head of sustainability at Holcim Australia and New Zealand.
“This equates to a fuel cost saving in excess of $33,000 per annum, before further savings are extracted via lower service and maintenance costs.”
Bo information was provided on the specifics of the Foton e-AUMAN C EV, but the trial will provide FMD with further opportunity to assess the performance of its larger zero emissions trucks.
Neil Wang, FMD’s CEO, said the introduction of the Foton EV Concrete truck to the Australian market is the first of a number of Foton electric trucks to be introduced in 2024.
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.