Energy Insiders - a RenewEconomy Podcast The revolution in electric trucking
Mar 6, 2026
Daniel Bleakley, Co-CEO of New Energy Transport and former chief correspondent for The Driven, explains the electric trucking transformation. He covers real-world range demos and per-kilometre energy figures. He contrasts diesel capex/opex with EV economics and describes depot design, megawatt charging versus swapping, grid connections and scaling plans for corridor line-haul.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Electric Trucks Reverse Freight Economics
- Electric trucks flip the economics of road freight from low-capex high-opex diesel to high-capex low-opex electric, delivering much lower per-kilometre operating costs.
- New Energy Transport models electricity at ~A$0.15/kWh and truck efficiency ~1.5–2 kWh/km, giving ~A$0.30/km vs ~A$1/km diesel for heavy B-doubles.
Real World Efficiency From A 480km Demo
- Measured demo: a 36-ton electric prime mover averaged ~1.25 kWh/km over a 480 km round trip, using ~600 kWh total.
- For larger 64-ton B-doubles expect 1.5–2 kWh/km, informing realistic range and energy planning.
Trucks Become Distributed Grid Storage
- Electrifying heavy freight will add substantial electricity demand (order of 20% to national market) but concentrates load in regional hubs near generation.
- Fleets bring large mobile battery capacity (500–700 kWh per truck) enabling grid services and V2G opportunities.