This story first appeared in the June issue of AutoTalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE
SEA Electric is expanding from Australia into
other countries
Australian automotive electric technology company SEA Electric is gaining strong momentum and expanding the battery-powered commercial vehicle revolution around the world.
The company recently established its own site in Los Angeles and appointed its first US-based employees to guide new products and future projects through US certification and distribution.
SEA Electric managing director Tony Fairweather says establishing a US presence was a logical step given the market and its demand for EVs.
“We see a lot of opportunities in the States, it’s an extremely large commercial vehicle market with a strong interest in sustainability – the US is an important part of our growth plans.
“The country’s high urbanisation and sprawling cities also provide conditions where EVs can deliver operators a lot of efficiency gains, not to mention the obvious environmental benefits,” Fairweather says.
SEA Electric is entering the European market too, opening in Vienna.
Its vehicles were on show at the Brisbane Truck Show in May and at California’s Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) expo in April.
“Feedback in the US to our SEA Electric technology from both government and private buyers has been extremely positive with several customers already placing orders,” Fairweather says.
The SEA-Drive powered vehicles are ideal for urban and metropolitan back-to-base distribution applications where they can be conveniently charged, off-peak, overnight and ready to go again the next morning, he says.
SEA Electric sources batteries from China and motors from Canada, and is also working on electric trucks in New Zealand where EV vans are planned too.
SEA Electric New Zealand general manager and cousin Stephen Fairweather says:
“Our system’s designed to fit into a standard rigid chassis.
So, we don’t mind what brand of truck it is.”
The vehicles are very configurable, with batteries from 70kWh to 216kWh and have a range around 200km for trucks and 350km for vans.
