A coalition of businesses, industry associations and civil society organisations has sent a joint letter to The Hon. Catherine King and The Hon. Chris Bowen calling for stronger national action to grow Australia’s energy independence and accelerate its transition to zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (ZE-MHDVs).
The letter highlights the economic opportunity of clean freight. Road freight contributes 8.6% of Australia’s GDP, accounts for over 80% of freight emissions, and produces around one-third of national transport emissions. ZE-MHDVs offer fleets lower operating costs in many applications, reduced fuel price volatility, advanced technology and safety features, quieter operations, and lower vibration for drivers. Despite this, electric truck sales currently represent less than 1 % of the market.
Signatories emphasize that zero-emission trucks and buses are already being deployed globally at scale with 39 ZE-MHDV models from 16 OEMs available for purchase on the market in Australia and New Zealand.
The coalition calls on the Australian government to take several practical steps to unlock private investment and scale deployment, including:
- Joining the Global Memorandum of Understanding on Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles to align Australia with leading markets and send a clear signal to industry and investors that the country is committed to scaling zero-emission freight
- Developing a nationwide plan for high-capacity freight charging infrastructure
- Supporting the Sydney-Melbourne “Hume Zero” corridor as a flagship long-distance zero-emission freight project
- Providing targeted incentives for small- and medium-sized freight operators
- Implementing policies that provide long-term market certainty
Michael Berube, CEO, CALSTART, said:
“Around the world, countries are accelerating the transition to zero-emission trucks and buses because technology availability provides an increasingly strong economic case. Australia is poised to benefit from joining this global momentum, attracting private investment, strengthening national supply chains, and positioning its freight sector for the future.”
Julie Delvecchio, Chief Executive Officer at Electric Vehicle Council, said:
“Australia has everything to gain from electrifying its commercial vehicles, particularly as global fuel shocks expose the vulnerabilities in our supply chain. Whether it’s charging infrastructure, our first ‘Green Freight Corridor’ or practical incentives to help more truckies go electric, we need government to partner with industry and bring real investment to the table.”
Andreas Kammel, Vice President Alternative Drivetrains at TRATON Group, said:
“Australia exhibits one of the best business cases for battery electric trucks in the world – and, with the Hume, one of the most promising corridors.”
Gareth Ridge, Country Director Australia and New Zealand at Zenobe Energy Limited, said:
“Australia is at a critical juncture in its electric transport journey. We have an incredible opportunity for both sectoral transformation and emissions reduction, built on policy stability, a clear road map for road freight electrification and the right regulatory settings.”
Marceline Overduin, Founder, Eco Route Advisory, said:
“Freight decarbonisation is both an environmental imperative and an economic opportunity. With targeted policies and strong partnerships, we can accelerate the shift to cleaner transport solutions. Our collective actions today will shape the sustainability of tomorrow’s logistics system.”
Fredrik Pehrsson, Co-CEO, New Energy Transport Pty Ltd, added:
“Electric trucks are moving from pilots to real commercial deployment. With the right policy settings and investment in enabling infrastructure along major freight corridors like Sydney-Melbourne, Australia can unlock private investment and accelerate the transition to zero-emission freight while strengthening national supply chains.”
Mohammed Abbas, Chief Growth & Sustainability Officer at ANC Delivers, added:
“The conversation on electrification needs to shift-this is no longer just about sustainability. It’s about energy security, and in turn, supply chain resilience. In a period of fuel volatility and geopolitical uncertainty, every EV sitting idle in dealer yards represents unused resilience. We should be thinking about how to get these assets to rubber-on-road as quickly as possible-maximising fleet flexibility, reducing exposure to fuel shocks, and strengthening continuity across essential supply chains.”
Mathew Munro, CEO at Australian Trucking Association, added:
“The Australian Trucking Association strongly supports government measures that would unlock private investment in zero-emission freight. In this regard, we have championed regulatory, infrastructure and targeted adoption incentives. For example, our proposed EV truck voucher scheme would cover half the price difference between a comparable electric truck and a conventional diesel or petrol model.
By making electric trucks more financially accessible, and supporting the provision of high-capacity charging infrastructure, the government could substantially reduce the barriers that deter businesses from making the switch.”
Mark Lampard, Managing Director at Go EV, added:
“As transport emissions in Australia have increased and rapidly risen to become the top emitter, it is now urgent for the government to step in and prioritise the transition of heavy vehicles to electric.”
Mark Gjerek, Founder & Director at MOV3MENT, added:
“The viability of electric trucks to replace diesel is changing faster than anyone expected. We’re already seeing some electric models enter the market at prices similar to a diesel truck, and global instability is driving diesel prices to new highs. As long-time supporters of the Global MoU, it gives the Australian government a plan for making these vehicles a national priority, ensuring they are operationally viable with charging, and boosts our chances of reaching our climate goals.”
Dylan Saunders, National Sustainability Advisor at CapitalGroup, added:
“Electric vehicles for freight can and do work but real success demands commitment from everyone in the chain. With today’s infrastructure still catching up, scaling remains a challenge, making collaboration, innovation, and sustained investment critical to move the industry forward.”
Rainer Knobloch, Chief Strategy & Operating Officer at NewVolt, added:
“The economics of electric long-haul freight are solvable – but only if energy is treated as a strategic advantage, not just another input cost. The Sydney-Melbourne corridor is where that case gets proven or it doesn’t. The truck makers, freight customers, energy companies, infrastructure developers and policymakers who figure this out together on the Hume will define what Australian freight looks like for the next thirty years.”
Signatories to this letter include:
- ABB E-Mobility
- AMPECO
- ANC Delivers
- Australian Trucking Association (ATA)
- CALSTART Drive to Zero
- Charge Hub
- Eco Route Advisory
- Electric Vehicle Council
- Go EV
- Iberdrola
- Janus Electric
- Jet Charge
- Kempower
- MOV3MENT
- New Energy Transport
- New Volt
- Tesla
- Traton Group
- Windrose
- Zenobe Energy Limited
- Capital Group
- Victorian Transport Association (VTA)