ABC News Daily Will the fuel crisis spark a switch to electric trucks?
Mar 29, 2026
Scott Dwyer, research director at the Institute for Sustainable Futures (UTS) specialising in sustainable transport and EV transitions. He covers current electric truck types in Australia and heavy truck ranges. Discussion of charging options, fast charging and battery swapping. Talks infrastructure hurdles, likely rollout locations and timelines for wider adoption.
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Electric Trucks Are Already Present And Growing
- Electric trucks are already on Australian roads across light, medium and heavy duty classes with growing year-on-year sales.
- Scott Dwyer notes under a thousand light vehicles, a few hundred sales last year, and around 100 heavy trucks being piloted by firms like Linfox and DHL.
China Leads With Mixed Heavy Vehicle Strategies
- China leads heavy vehicle electrification but also heavily invested in LNG trucks earlier, so its transition mixes technologies.
- Dwyer explains battery-electric heavy trucks are catching up as battery costs fall and municipal support increases in China.
Heavy Truck Ranges Are Rapidly Improving
- Typical ranges for heavy electric trucks in Australia today are about 300 to 400 kilometres with newer models claiming 500km or more.
- Dwyer mentions upcoming trucks claiming 500km and one company talking about 700km, mirroring passenger EV range improvements over time.