Construction is set to begin on Australia’s first open-access electric truck charging network following the official launch of the NewVolt project at Laverton North in Melbourne’s west this morning [10 June].
The Laverton North site will become the first operational location in the NewVolt national charging network and is expected to service electric trucks using ultra-fast charging infrastructure.
Speaking at the launch event, NewVolt CEO and co-founder, Anthony Headlam, said the project represented a major milestone for freight electrification in Australia after years of development and industry consultation.
“We’re about to press go on a site here today for a couple of reasons,” said Headlam.
“Firstly because we’ve been the generous recipients of funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), but we’re also pressing go because we’ve got a whole lot of customers who’ve said ‘yes, what you’re building makes sense’.”
HeadLam said the project had evolved from an early-stage concept seven years ago into a real-world charging solution designed to support the growing number of battery electric trucks entering Australian fleets.
“We do appreciate that whilst there are some real trucks out there that was not the case seven years ago when we thought this seemed like a good idea,” he said.
“To get to the point today where we’ve got a gathering of customers and delivery partners who recognise that electric trucks are definitely happening has actually been a long time in the making.”
According to Headlam, Laverton North was selected as the launch site because of its strategic location within one of Australia’s busiest freight corridors.
“We’re starting here in Laverton frankly because this is actually just the most obvious place to start,” he said.
“The way we think about what we’re doing is really unlocking electrification opportunities and unlocking electrification duty cycles.”
Headlam said the charging hub would support a range of transport applications including wharf cartage, last-mile freight and regional haul operations servicing centres such as Geelong, Ballarat and Wodonga.
“We want to help unlock electrification opportunities for customers, but more importantly we want to do so profitably,” he said.
“NewVolt’s mission is to go faster, but we’re only going to go faster if we can help ensure that for our customers it’s profitable.”
NewVolt co-founder, Rainer Knobloch, said construction activity at the Laverton North site is expected to begin within weeks.
“Hopefully in about four weeks we’ll be pouring concrete on this site,” said Knobloch.
“We are the first in Australia to be building these types of sites and we’re very, very excited.”
Knobloch outlined plans for a purpose-built charging and driver amenity hub featuring 12 fast-charging bays capable of delivering up to 400kW per plug, with the site also being designed to accommodate Performance-Based Standards (PBS) combinations including B-doubles.
“There will be parking facilities during the day and during the night for drivers,” said Knobloch. “Also, there will be an amenity building here for drivers – coffee, Wi-Fi, lounge, toilets.”
He said the first stage of the network would comprise three operational sites by the end of next year, with further expansion planned along key freight corridors including the Hume Highway, Sydney, Port of Brisbane, Bendigo and Ballarat.
“The NewVolt network starts here on this site,” he said. “Every map starts somewhere.”
Electric vehicle infrastructure specialist, JET Charge, has been appointed as a delivery partner for the project.
Speaking at the launch, Peter Georgiadis – JET Charge EGM for Major Projects, Asset Management & Delivery – said the Laverton North development marked a significant moment for the heavy vehicle industry.
“The team is doing something bold and great here today,” he said. “It’s a significant change for our industry and it’s really exciting to see.”
Georgiadis said the project would help establish a new zero-emissions freight corridor once the site is energised.
Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) Chief Technical Officer, Adam Ritzinger, described the project as the beginning of an “era-defining energy infrastructure transition” for the freight sector.
“This site where we’re standing is kicking off a dedicated national charging network for electric trucks,” said Ritzinger.
“The future freight transport energy transition is starting,” he said – comparing the significance of the launch to the early development of fuel infrastructure during the birth of the automotive industry in the late 19th century.
“Things don’t exist until they’re created,” he said. “Today, NewVolt is allowing us to swap those engines for electric motors and recharge them on a national scale.”
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