Trucks are big polluters, but can batteries make them cleaner?
In 2024, trucks emitted 22 million tonnes of CO2, accounting for nearly a quarter of all transport emissions in Australia. With lack of charging and fuelling infrastructure limiting progress for electric and hydrogen-powered heavy vehicles, the transition to greener trucking is also hampered by high costs.
Industry figures agree the sector will decarbonise, but are still navigating the debate on whether battery-backed electric or green hydrogen-fuelled trucks are the long-term answer.
The federal government has commitments to both camps, with its National Electric Vehicle Strategy outlining infrastructure plans for both widespread EV charging networks along major highways and also 'hydrogen highways' on key freight routes for long-haul trucks.
Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Julie Delvecchio said decarbonising Australia's freight industry would require a 'range of different strategies' but the main advantage of EVs was the availability of models in the market.
'What's great about electric trucks is that they are commercially available now whereas other fuels, such as hydrogen, are still in development,' said Delvecchio.
Ian Campbell, managing director of Janus Electric, a company which retrofits used trucks with EV batteries and launched on the ASX earlier this year, said trucking had proved to be a difficult sector to decarbonise, but one that was under increasing attention.
'We're seeing a lot of inquiry from people [customers] trying to create a zero-emissions supply chain,' said Campbell. 'That's been a big focus of people that have come into us.'
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