Electric truck company SEA Electric, has issued a statement in support of the Grattan Institute Truck Plan, issued earlier this week, which called for a plan to get older, more polluting and less safe trucks off our roads.
SEA Electric says it applauds the recently released Grattan plan for supporting the push to implement sustainable solutions for Australia’s transport fleet.
SEA Electric in its statement underlined that it has developed a wide range of all-electric trucks, which have been “proven in the field with over two million kilometres of real-world use to date”.
SEA Electric’s founder and CEO, Tony Fairweather, who has recently been back in Australia In Australia for the recent EV Summit in Canberra, noted that the plan by the Grattan Institute could in fact go further and meet the already accepted baselines set elsewhere around the world.
“At SEA Electric we commend the work by the Grattan Institute in highlighting the very real issues which face the transport industry, and wider society in Australia today,” said Fairweather.
“Across the world, there are jurisdictions which have led the way with introducing guidelines for transport manufacturers and fleets to adhere to.
“For instance, the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Regulation, which has been implemented by the California Air Resources Board, (CARB) and has now been adopted by many states across the US, is accelerating the first wave of zero-emission trucks to enter the marketplace.
“We are calling for this same framework to be replicated here in Australia, actively lobbying the Federal Government for action. We need clear air quality targets, an understanding of the environmental impacts of transport, combined with zero-emission truck sales targets and company and fleet reporting.
“The truck manufacturers that participate in the USA market are the same that are dominant here in Australia, so there is no reason why it wouldn’t and couldn’t work locally.
“The Grattan Institute called for two per cent of new truck sales being zero-emissions in 2024 but there is no reason this could not easily be expanded to 7 per cent.
“It is somewhat disappointing to see some of the comments that have come from within the industry since the release of the report, there is clearly room for more education around the current possibilities in zero emissions transport.
“We look forward to working with the industry to advance the country’s march towards our net zero-emissions goals.”
Founded in Australia in 2012, SEA Electric has grown a global footprint with its proprietary SEA-Drive® power-system, which has found favour across five continents in a range of applications, from vans to heavy trucks.
Locally, the company commenced volume production of the world’s first true range of all-electric trucks from its Victorian base last year, which are currently available from a nationwide dealer network, complete with a full aftersales support suite.
The model lineup covers models from 4.5t GVM capable of being driven on a car licence, ideal for local deliveries, through to 22.5t three-axle rigid trucks, with the range capable of being adapted for a wide array of final applications.
