Australian e-truck conversion specialist Janus Electric tapped mining giant OZ Minerals and logistics firm Qube to trial the world’s first electric triple road train powered by a converted semi in SA, Charged reported.
Vision Electric project details
The three companies involved in the Vision Electric partnership started the trial in May and will last for a year, according to Big Rigs.
“We’ve called the project Vision Electric for a reason; it’s taken the vision of all three companies to come together to get this to work. We’ve got two partners there who have put their money where their mouth is and said, ‘Look, we want to be part of this, we want to lead this technology, and we want to be the first to market. “
Janus Electric CEO Lex Forsyth told Big Rigs
The converted prime mover will reportedly pull three trailers under the harshest driving conditions in the outback of South Australia.
Notably, the project aligns with the company’s efforts to contribute to reducing CO2 emissions in the heavy transportation and resources industries.
“We aim to reduce our emissions by 50 per cent by 2027 and achieve net zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030. This trial is part of our investment to find pathways to these reductions.”
OZ Minerals CEO and MD Andrew Cole
The converted electric semi
The pilot program involved a converted Volvo FH16 8×6 prime mover. It generates a maximum output of 720 horsepower and 2,500 Nm of torque and a driving range of 200 to 400 km.
It has a battery pack supports a 620 kWh capacity and a Volvo 12-speed gearbox. According to the report, the semi has officially started hauling the “equivalent of three shipping containers of copper concentrate from the OZ Minerals Carrapateena mine to the Whyalla port, 165 km away.”
It will apparently utilize a tailored charging and battery-swapping station at Port Augusta.
The truck will run by two to three rotations a day. It will gradually reach 24/7 operation once drivers complete the training.
“It’ll be towing a triple road train with three tri-axle trailers and two tri-dollies behind it, so grossing out at about 160 tonnes, the equivalent of what diesel vehicles are carrying. It’s the heaviest-rated on-road electric truck in the world. For the governments who have all being drinking the hydrogen Kool-Aid, to be able to see that there’s a 170-tonne-rated tri-drive prime mover that will tow a triple road train is just starting to dispel some of those myths around battery-electric vehicles.”
Janus Electric CEO Lex Forsyth
Significance
The pilot program can prove that electric semis can offer significant cost savings and show that they can “handle the load and the road” even under the worst driving conditions where Australian mining occurs.
CleanTechnica noted that 80% of Australian trucks operate within 400 km of a capital city. Moreover, the country consumes 32 billion liters of diesel annually. One-fourth of that total goes into the trucking industry.
Therefore, converting diesel-powered trucks will boost the country’s energy security efforts. Its battery-swapping capability can also supplement the electrical grid by charging during the day and utilizing excess energy at night.
“Stopping for hours to recharge batteries is not a feasible solution for fleet owners. The Janus solution is to charge and change when and where it makes sense.”
Janus Electric CEO Lex Forsyth
See Also:
- Isuzu reveals its first all-electric truck in Australia
- Ford plans to produce its next-gen electric truck at the $5.6B factory in 2025
- Gigantic 66-tonne electric truck released for Norway trial run
- Lordstown is developing new EV plans after selling three electric trucks in 2022
- Nissan becomes one of the first automakers to test heavy-duty all-electric trucks for deliveries
The Vision Electric project is a significant part of the companies’ common mission to reduce carbon emissions in the trucking industry. Janus Chief Forsyth claims that their technology can aid operators in saving 10%-30% in costs compared to traditional vehicle counterparts. However, it must also be noted that Janus conversion costs $150,000-$200,000 depending on the vehicle’s specifications.
Janus also recently launched the world’s first converted Western Star tipper trial in Brisbane. It also deployed the country’s first electric logging truck at Fennel Forestry.
