Electric truck start up, SEA Electric has announced it has launched a new version of its entry level 300-45 electric truck which has been re rated to make it legal to drive on a car licence.
The first version of the car licence compliant SEA 300-45 came off the assembly line at the company’s Dandenong facility in Melbourne’s East recently, making the truck a candidate for a number of potential customers needing car licence capable trucks for last mile delivery fleets.
Many large las mile fleets including retailer Woolworths are known to favour trucks that can be driven on car licences so the new version of the SEA 300 will be critical for success in this market.
The 300-45 like the rest of SEA’s current line up is based on a Hino sourced ‘glider’ kit and is assembled and fitted with one of the company’s electric powertrains at the Dandenong plant.
The company unveiled the 4.5-tonne GVM SEA 300-45 at the Brisbane Truck Show in May.
The company says the truck’s ‘intelligent design’ sees its batteries and its power-system positioned away from the steer axle, for improved weight distribution and driving dynamics.
It added that its SEA-Drive 70-7 Power-System boasts maximum power and torque ratings of 127kW and 700Nm, with performance characteristics making it ideal for stop-start city traffic.
The truck is fitted with an 88kWh battery, and the company claims it has an unladen range of up to 250km with a fast charging time of under two hours.
The truck’s tare weight is 2.5-tonnes, which given the 4.5 tonne GVM means that it has a payload of somewhere between one and 1.5 tonnes, depending on the weight of the body added to it. Given the demands of buyers in the last mile delivery market that this truck is targeted at that sort of payload would be well accepted.The company says the design of the 300-45 allows for a maximum body length of 4,820mm, while ancillary functions can be converted to pure-electric power, including refrigeration units.
“In recent times, the transport industry has seen massive development in the last mile delivery sector, fuelled by the growth of demand for online shopping,” said Bill Gillespie, SEA Electric president – Asia Pacific.
“We’re particularly proud of the SEA 300-45; it ticks many boxes for fleets who want to show leadership in environmental sustainability moving forward.
“Obviously, being capable of driven on a car licence makes it is easier to attract and retain staff, and those drivers are to able to utilise a noise, fume and vibration-free work environment.
“With the silent operation of the truck, converting to EVs creates opportunities to beat noise curfews moving forward, with residences and businesses along delivery routes also big winners.
“The range of the SEA 300-45 is also a strong suite, and when coupled with its fast charging capability, the trucks can slot in seamlessly to existing fleets.
“It’s exciting that our assembly line now produces the world’s first true range of all-electric trucks, continuing the drive to an all-electric future.”
