Global commercial vehicle and battery electrification provider, Zenobē will commit $100 million to accelerate the rollout of zero-emission freight across Australia.
The massive investment is aiming to support the potential doubling of heavy commercial electric trucks and the charging infrastructure across the nation. It will also build on Zenobē’s broader global growth ambitions to support up to 4,000 electric commercial vehicles by the end of 2026.
There are around 1000 heavy electric trucks currently on the road, and the Zenobē funding is designed to help double that number by the end of 2026, at a critical moment for the sector, the company said.
With 56 per cent of Australia’s truck fleet now more than a decade old, operators are increasingly making decisions about replacement technologies as vehicles reach the end of their operating life, Zenobē noted.
Zenobē said it is removing both the financial and technical barriers by funding, designing, and optimising end-to-end zero-emission fleet solutions from day one.
The Zenobē $100 million investment will fund the electric trucks as well as the full ecosystem supporting them, including charging infrastructure, battery replacements, and deployment, which are designed to match or beat the total cost of ownership (TCO) of diesel fleets.
It will also cover upfront planning at no cost to operators, including depot assessments, fleet and energy modelling, and tailored proposals to de-risk the transition.
Despite the Zenobē announcement and a recent funding package by ARENA, e-truck adoption is still in its infancy in Australia.
The company said about 500 electric trucks were on track to be sold in 2024, more than the total sold over the previous decade, which highlights both the progress made and the scale of the opportunity ahead.
Zenobē aims to remove one of the biggest barriers to electrification adoption by making the transition (TCO) neutral for fleet operators.
This is achieved through a long-term view of asset lifecycles, access to low-cost capital, and the expertise to design, develop, and manage cost-effective, fit-for-purpose truck charging infrastructure for diverse customer needs, the company said.
“The direction we set in the next five years will define the trajectory for the next two decades,” said Zenobē Country Director, Australia and New Zealand, Gareth Ridge.
“Our goal is simple: to make the transition total cost of ownership neutral so the sustainable choice is also the commercial one.”
By combining capital investment with charging infrastructure and fleet electrification expertise, Zenobē said it aims to accelerate the shift to zero-emission freight while strengthening the resiliency and sustainability of the logistics and supply chain sectors.
In other news read about Fleets cutting fuel waste, turning to electrification.
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