Coal news and updates

The truck chosen by EnergyAustralia is Foton Mobility’s T5 Light Duty vehicle, which was on show at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show earlier this year.

The truck will arrive at the Mt Piper power station on June 21 this year then will be operating in Yallourn by mid-July.

Each trial will last between 4 to 8 weeks and will replace one diesel truck at the sites. 

Both these power plants use coal as their primary fuel.

“We want to understand the feasibility of replacing regular diesel trucks with electric trucks at our power generation sites while maintaining operational efficiency,” said EnergyAustralia Head of Green Transport Jack Kotlyar. 

Last year, EnergyAustralia pledged support to the heavy vehicle electrification transition. It committed to work with large transport and bus operators to plan and build charging infrastructure hubs that were powered by renewables.

The electric trucks are part of a larger arrangement between EnergyAustralia and Foton Mobility, to support EV charging infrastructure and electricity generation. 

A similar arrangement was reached between equipment company Caterpillar and BHP back in 2021, although testing has only just begun.