BLK Auto has announced it has appointed alternative fuels vehicles expert Ben Kiddle as general manager of Zero Emissions Vehicles.
BLK said that Kiddle is a passionate advocate for alternative fuels vehicles and brings more than two decades of experience working in the operational transport and vehicle manufacturing industry.
In his most recent role as the general manager of a leading international vehicle manufacturer( believed to be Nexport), Kiddle managed the design and development of new light-weight EV busses and trucks, and introduced the largest Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) fleet to Transport for New South Wales.
BLK said that Kiddle’s depth of experience includes setting up local manufacturing and supply chains, coordinating successful tender submissions for local and Federal government agencies, implementing depot electrification and fleet EV deployment, and training customers and staff on the correct operating procedures of electric and hydrogen vehicles.
The company said he has successfully implemented many safety, quality and efficiency-improving systems that have affected real growth at an organisational level.
Kiddle started his career in the late 1990s as a heavy vehicle mechanic and progressed through the commercial transport industry, taking increasingly senior roles within the State Transit Authority (Sydney Buses), before moving into senior management positions within the private sector.
BLK Auto managing director Jason Pecotic said that Kiddle brought a ground-up working knowledge of the transport industry, and a clear vision for the future of BLK.
“It is my pleasure to welcome Ben to BLK Auto and his proven track record in the battery electric vehicle space will be an invaluable asset to our business. We are excited to draw on his deep industry knowledge and management expertise,” Pecotic said.
Ben Kiddle said that the transition to BLK was a natural next step and an excellent opportunity to work with a zero emissions-focused company.
“I am a strong believer in, and passionate advocate for, the wide-scale uptake of hydrogen and battery electric vehicles,” he said.
“BLK is an industry first-mover that is paving the way for the hydrogen and battery electric vehicle market here in Australia, and I look forward to joining a team that is committed to supplying zero emissions transportation to Australian industry.”
