Prime Mover: What are Centurion’s next steps towards the electrification of its operations across Australia?
Hamish McHaffie: The next steps are likely to be in the context of the larger capacity trucks that will be coming on the market in the coming years. There’s going to be an opportunity for Centurion to look at what those large-capacity trucks will be able to service — in terms of what can be achieved with regards to distance that the trucks can travel and tonnes they can carry — potentially what it would like for Centurion’s Southwest operations in Western Australia. We’re also starting to think about how to bring electrification into Centurion’s Queensland-based operations. We’ll also align with OEM activities as their timing to market will be a key factor in our approach to electrification across Australia.
PM: How quickly are the processes and systems involved in this scale of electrification evolving or advancing?
HM: It depends on the operation, as there are going to be off-grid and on-grid solutions. For Centurion’s electrification project, we went with the off-grid solution to accelerate our program and to develop a project that wouldn’t be held up in approvals with connecting to the local grid network. The reality with Australia is there’s going to be both grid-connected and off-grid systems, in particular when thinking of solutions for more remote parts of the country. The scale of these systems will differ — they won’t all need to be substantial charging hubs like we’ll see in the metro areas. I’m sure we’ll find that smaller, more bespoke applications will have a place in the evolving electrification technology for the transport sector. Governments and fuel suppliers are also going to play a significant role in the scale and speed of electrification too. Electrification strategies will be specific and tailored towards the amount of activity for the operating environment.
PM: In a similar vein, what do you think are the biggest hurdles preventing fleet operators from making a transition to electrification?
HM: A large element of it is the cost of the trucks and depending on the application, the cost of the energy. In some situations, operators are purchasing a truck for a third of the price of an electric one. Again, depending on the application, energy storage and charging infrastructure can be fairly expensive. Obviously, the level of scale for an electrification also plays a major role in the cost factor — for example fleet solutions might be a stretch for many businesses, however, pilot projects of one or two trucks charging from the grid, are a great starting point.
PM: Can you expand further on Ralton Benn’s idea of the importance of people in fleet electrification processes?
HM: Effective stakeholder management is key for a successful project, including the development of operating practices and integrating new approaches to fleet management. It’s important to support stakeholders and understand all their respective roles in managing fleet electrification — from figuring out the best solution to manage costs, to integrating the solution with existing operations — all these aspects have been critical. Without supportive stakeholders, you cannot get the best outcome for integrating the technology. Depot, fleet and asset managers, drivers, maintenance teams — everyone has important and valuable contributions.
PM: What advice would you give to any fleets looking to make this transition to electrification?
HM: It would be for a business to prioritise the right solution based on service demand and the technological solutions available. There is a whole range of solutions available when switching over to electrification. I don’t think it’s a good idea to rush in selecting the first truck and charger available, because ultimately that decision needs to be integrated into a business’s wider energy transition strategy. Once you think of these smaller decisions in the context of the larger ones, your mission and strategy become much clearer.
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