Queensland’s first all-electric delivery truck for IKEA’s planned zero emissions truck fleet by 2025 is about to hit the road.
Fleet service provider All Purpose Transport (APT) is set to deploy the truck after a three-year project in conjunction with automotive technology company SEA Electric.
IKEA’s vision for a 100% electric home delivery fleet by 2025 is seeing fleet delivery services such as APT partner with SEA Electric to build all-electric delivery trucks.
“All Purpose Transport is a progressive transport business that wants to take a leadership role in Queensland towards reducing emissions with the introduction of electric vehicles,” general manager Paul Kahlert says.
He says ATP is aiming for 10% of its IKEA delivery fleet to be all-electric by the end of 2020.
The delivery truck is built on a Hino 917 glider with the SEA-Drive 120a power system.
“The 100% electric power-system offers a range of up to 300km (unladen), zero emissions saving an estimated 36 tonnes of CO2 per annum when compared to a typical diesel equivalent, enhanced driver comfort and safety with little heat and noise, and reduced cost of total ownership,” SEA Electric Oceania regional director Glen Walker says.
ATP operates an owner driver model and has purchased the SEA Hino 917 delivery truck to test the business benefits of running it.
An EV leasing scheme to its owner drivers is planned by ATP for a sustainable business model.
IKEA is a corporate member of the EV100 group of companies, joining the likes of DHL, Heathrow Airport, Hewlett Packard and Swiss Post.
Another IKEA fleet partner, Sydney based ANC has had three IKEA SEA Electric delivery trucks on the road for the past 10 months.
Collectively the three ANC electric trucks have travelled 85,000km, travelling an average of 185km daily on a single charge, and made more than 5000 deliveries with an average weight of around 2.5 tonnes.
In 10 months the three ANC electric trucks are estimated to have saved 90 tonnes of CO2.
SEA Electric founder and chief executive officer Tony Fairweather was invited to the ATP EV truck launch.
“The event was well represented by IKEA and many All Purpose Transport clients, as well as being supported by the Queensland Government with minister (for transport and main roads) Mark Bailey addressing the room.”
Fairweather is encouraged by Bailey’s speech, “with his acknowledgement of this fast transitioning segment and that Australia has been slow to adopt strategies to support it, however implying this would soon change.”
A further discussion following the minister’s address suggests electric rubbish trucks should be supported in Queensland.
“I am confident that this will be the start of many more electric commercial vehicles for Queensland,” Fairweather concludes.
Melbourne-based SEA Electric has had several commercial EV orders in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Thailand and plans an assembly plant in the Latrobe Valley in regional Victoria.
