Whilst Scania are not the only truck manufacturer moving towards electrification of their model range, they are one of the leaders. In fact, they are targeting 50% of their vehicle sales to be battery-powered by 2030. TheDriven reported back in 2022 on Scania’s push into electrification and their new electric models coming out in Europe. With that expansion into battery …

This year, well over 250 forestry and log transport delegates from companies across Australasia, North and South America and Europe met up in Rotorua, New Zealand. The occasion? The long overdue Wood Transport & Logistics 2023 conference, workshops and exhibitions. With so much effort going into larger transport companies decarbonising their fleets and innovation and early adoption of electric, hydrogen …

Fabrum to supply 1MW electrolyser Hydrogen Refuelling Station package for hydrogen production and dispensing, with a unique double pressure system for cars and trucks – a first for New Zealand New Zealand company Fabrum, a world leader in zero-emission transition technologies to enable a lower-carbon economy, has been selected by Japan-based Obayashi Corporation as the supplier of a Hydrogen Refuelling …

Advanced technology will pave the way to exceed what was previously thought possible. The commercial transportation industry faces rapidly changing regulations and evolving customer needs. Cummins examines the future of commercial transportation, and indicates that it will be shaped by three perspectives: a shifting energy mix, innovations in software, and evolving use cases driven by autonomous driving and vehicle-as-a-service (VaaS). …

Trelleborg enters the discussion on which technologies will be appropriate to power the vehicles of the future. Pick any data point and the growth of electric cars looks like a wildly successful phenomenon. The number of electric cars on the world’s roads hit 16.5 million at the end of 2021, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). That is triple …

JCB has made a second major breakthrough in proving the wider appeal of hydrogen combustion technology. This has been achieved by installing one of its super-efficient hydrogen engines into a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van. The white van retrofit was completed in just two weeks and one of the vehicle’s first test drivers was JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford, who is leading the …

All new trucks being registered in Germany from 2035 could be battery-electric if a broad-scale charging network is available by then, according to the Institute for Applied Ecology (Öko-Institut). “The key entry point for ensuring the market success of zero-emission drive technologies is the rapid and targeted rollout of a charging infrastructure for heavy-duty commercial vehicles,” the Öko-Institut states. “Greenhouse …

Something isn’t quite right over in China. Footage has emerged showing fields of cars, predominantly electric vehicles, just sitting there. It’s a bit eerie, and quite confusing considering how China is a massive market for EVs, so what’s going on? More >> Source: Stuff

A new report released by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and GHD Advisory calls for Australia to focus on hydrogen-powered transport – alongside electric vehicles – or risk being left behind our international counterparts. While battery electric vehicles will drive decarbonisation of road transport in Australia, there are opportunities for hydrogen-powered vehicles to play a significant role with long-haul travel …

China is widely known as the world’s largest market for electric cars and buses, but did you know that it’s also leading in the race to electric trucks? Indeed, based on data from EV-volumes.com, in 2022, China sold 36,000 electric trucks, 91% of the global total. And no country except China has ever sold more than 1,000 new electric trucks …

It’s out with the coal and in with the biofuel for steam tram no. 100, which will operate on a renewable energy source made from trees at MOTAT Live Day on August 20. Developed by Crown Research Institute, Scion, the biofuel will undergo its largest trial to date, which will see 250 kilograms of briquettes supplied to MOTAT to keep …

A fully electric 19-tonne Mercedes-Benz eActros has arrived in New Zealand for validation testing with Daimler Truck dealer network partners. The eActros 300 4×2 cab chassis model, with a reported range of up to 330km, is now being put through its paces in the North Island with customer participation alongside commercial vehicle dealership Keith Andrews. Testing will also soon begin …

Long-distance trucks should be able to be fully charged during the drivers’ 45-minute driving time break. MAN will start production of its electric long-haul truck in 2024. There are already more than 500 order enquiries. As early as 2030, half of MAN trucks registered annually in Europe should be battery-electric. For this to succeed in Europe, construction of around 50,000 …

More haulage companies are now starting to invest in electric trucks, including for heavy transport. Volvo Trucks has delivered an electric truck for heavy transport to a haulier in Gothenburg, Sweden. The truck can handle a total weight of 74 tonnes. Testing has been ongoing on one of the trucks in container traffic in the port area of Arendal in …

Industrial gas company Coregas has installed a hydrogen refuelling station for heavy trucks in Port Kembla, NSW to fuel up to 10 trucks per day.The company says it will be the first heavy vehicle hydrogen refuelling station in Australia, and is operational now for the one fuel cell truck currently operating in the area. The station is on the Bluescope …

Iron ore and green energy giant Fortescue Metals says it is rolling out its first prototype three megawatt fast charger as it continues trials of its first electric heavy haulage truck – dubbed the Road Runner – at one of its giant Pilbara mines. Mark Hutchinson, the head of Fortescue Energy, says the company’s “green fleet” team is now testing …

It sails up the Bombay Hills, accelerates faster than fossil fuel vehicles, and incurs less driver fatigue – some of the key findings from a trial of NZ Post’s new zero emission, hydrogen fuel cell-powered truck. The zero emission, cutting-edge Hyundai XCIENT FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) is a new generation hydrogen vehicle used for the first time here for …

FPInnovations has announced the completion of the baseline phase for its truck platooning tests. The truck platooning project aims to accelerate the adoption of the off-highway, automated vehicle technology to support the sustainable development of Northern communities and to address the critical shortage of truck drivers. The chronic lack of drivers severely compromises many forestry and mining operations in Northern …

New Zealand’s eight Wood Councils have joined forces to launch the joint forest education organisation – Discover Forestry New Zealand. Work around the country has already been undertaken with school engagement programmes Wood is Good (primary), and Grow Me (secondary). Check out the calendar of planned school visits and activities on this link to see what is coming up. If …

And for all you vehicle or ute enthusiasts out there, Tesla’s Cybertruck is one of the most talked about vehicles to hit the market in recent years, thanks to its unique angular design and exposed steel outer body – and its anticipated impact on the market. A Cybertruck has now landed in New Zealand for winter testing and has been …

Electric trucks take too long to recharge, right? Well, not if you swap out the batteries! As part of the recent Wood Transport & Logistics 2023 event, forestry and log haulage companies got a look into the conversion from diesel to electric that Fennell Forestry had made to one of their logging trucks in South Australia. Janus Electric provided the …

An articulated truck will burn through 40 times more fuel and generate 50 times more CO2 than a passenger car. They represent 1% of all vehicles on Australian roads but 15% of all transport emissions. These are the findings of a new report by Adiona Tech titled Connected Thinking that makes the strong case that Australia is not putting enough …

Australia’s archaic road rules, and its unique weight restrictions on trucks, have emerged as a major stumbling block to moves to transform the country’s heavy duty truck fleet to fully electric. Volvo Trucks – the world’s biggest maker of heavy-duty electric trucks, and Australia’s biggest vehicle manufacturer – wants to start selling its heavy-duty electric trucks now and to build …

Cardinal Logistics is investing more than NZ$450 million in developing New Zealand’s first fully automated third-party logistics (3PL) warehouse in Drury, South Auckland. Cardinal, the country’s largest privately-owned 3PL company, expects the first stage of the project to be online later this year. Also believed to be largest of its type in the Southern Hemisphere, the new facility represents a …

Australia needs hydrogen to help reach net zero emissions by 2050, and ground-breaking new technology could help reshape the nation’s energy landscape by safely generating hydrogen at off-grid locations. A new project led by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, will develop an easily deployed device to produce hydrogen directly at the point of consumption, in an Australian first. CSIRO scientists …

Wood Transport & Logistics 2023 returned to a packed audience, a car park full of large rigs and a range of next-gen technologies on display. Over 250 forestry and log transport companies from across Australasia, North and South America and Europe, joined the two-day technology programme in Rotorua, New Zealand. With so much effort going into larger transport companies decarbonising …

The measurement of solid volume is becoming increasingly critical in the wood trading in the forestry industry for two main reasons. First, because it provides a better approximation of estimating the actual amount of fiber, which is crucial to produce products where fiber is the raw material. Second, during a climate crisis, the measurement of solid volume is a variable …

There’s a lot riding on what will be the first green hydrogen production and refuelling station in the South Island. That’s as New Zealand’s largest private transport operator, HW Richardson (HWR), targets getting its pilot hydrogen station in Gore, Southland, on line by September. Its aspirations, almost two years in the making, took a step forward with the arrival of …

VR’s first train with an electric locomotive transporting roundwood arrived for test runs at Metsä Group’s new Euro2.02 billion Kemi bioproduct mill. This marked a major step in Metsä Group and VR’s long-term cooperation, ensuring the Kemi bioproduct mill’s wood supply by rail. At the Kemi bioproduct mill, rail transport will account for approximately two thirds of the roundwood consumed. …

WASP, has developed new technology that removes the truck driver from the hazards of throwing chains over their load, allowing for heavier chains to be used. The benefits of this are not just related to health and safety and the reduction in shoulder injuries, but also making the job easier and less physically demanding for the driver. The new automatic …

The first trainload of Walcha softwood sawlogs has arrived by rail in Wagga, bound for timber mills in the snowy region, who have seen their local timber supplies significantly reduced after the Black Summer bushfires. The rail transport initiative will see Forestry Corporation of NSW deliver around 270,000 tonnes of sawlog timber to Tumut and Tumbarumba processors over the next …

David Robinson is the business development manager for Taylors Contracting and has 18 years of experience in senior management roles in the forestry industry in Nelson Tasman. OPINION: Toyota NZ has recently been showcasing its hydrogen fuel cell electric car the Toyota Mirai in Nelson. These cars are more commonly seen on the streets of Los Angeles than here in …

New Zealand’s largest privately owned transport company has launched what is believed to be Australasia’s first dual fuel truck which is powered by hydrogen gas and diesel. The HW Richardson Group, which has 1400 trucks in its fleet, revealed its first dual-fuel truck at the George Begg Festival at Teretonga, near Invercargill on Friday31 March. The company believes hydrogen is …

ForestWorks has commenced work on a project to update the forest industry’s Log Haulage Manual and produce instructional videos to support some important knowledge and skills required to transport harvested timber safely. These resources are being created for industry, by industry, to make Australian workplaces safer. Those with experience in log haulage have the opportunity to provide feedback on the …

Is New Zealand the next Glass Onion? The famous movie depicts a false idea of the future, using tiny particles of crystallised hydrogen for energy. The idea of using green hydrogen to power the world is nearly everywhere – it has the potential to alter the playing field for sustainable power, but it’s just that – an idea. So, what …

As we’ve reported recently, an innovative SA operator is taking charge, putting the first battery electric logging truck operating in Australia through its paces in the Green Triangle. Fennell Forestry boss Wendy Fennell knows it could be up to two years before she can categorically determine if this ground-breaking experiment has been a success.But as she puts Australia’s first battery-electric …

A Teletrac Navman survey of more than 1,800 global fleet operators has revealed that rising fuel costs (39%), disruption due to the impact of COVID-19 (32%), and supply chain pressure (31%), are the top challenges they currently face. “The last 12 months have created new complexities for fleets, but fuel cost rises are the number one concern for operators globally,” …

Australia’s first electric log truck has arrived in Mount Gambier, as Fennell Forestry cuts a new path towards a carbon-free future for the sector. The truck is just the second electric log truck in the world and has been commissioned by the local harvest and haulage company to provide a realistic carbon reduction solution for the heavy transport industry. Fennell …

This new opportunity comes with a free conference registration – up to about five of them in fact for – for this year’s Wood Transport & Logistics 2023 event running in Rotorua, New Zealand on 24-25 May 2023. The Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA) has teamed up with the WIDE Trust, a charitable Trust formed in 2018 that supports the …

Canadian Company takes the transportation industry by storm. Edison Motors is a revolutionary company that specializes in the design, development, and production of electric semi-trucks. Founded by Chace Barber and Eric Little, this privately owned Canadian clean technology company has quickly made a name for itself in the industry, thanks to its innovative approach to manufacturing electric trucks that deliver …

Raptor® is a forestry product line made of steel components, produced by a Brazilian company called Unylaser. Unylaser will be exhibiting this year, along with other key equipment and technology suppliers to the log transport industry as part of the eagerly awaited Wood Transport & Logistics 2023 event running in Rotorua, New Zealand on 24-25 May. Within the Raptor® portfolio …

While Tevva’s laser-guided focus remains trained on building and delivering its battery-electric 7.5-ton vehicle, testing, and development of its hydrogen-electric counterpart continues. Four Tevva engineers: Charlie Cordell, Byron Dolman, Ryan Clark, and Toby Hurst were doing exactly that recently, with a ‘range test’ of Tevva’s dual-energy prototype truck. The exercise saw the foursome accumulate more than 1,000 kilometers (approximately 620 …

As detailed in earlier issues, has been set up for forestry, log transport and wood logistics companies from across Australasia. Wood Transport & Logistics 2023 is being run on 24-25 May 2023 – live in Rotorua with live streaming set up for those outside New Zealand. Registrations to the event continue to roll in. As well as trade exhibitions and …

From logging truck beginnings to battery-electric trucks and fuel cell pilots Kenworth, which began as a maker of logging trucks in 1923, is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Kenworth Truck Co. will spend the next 12 months celebrating its 100th anniversary — from its beginnings as a logging truck company that made diesel engines standard to a line-up that includes battery-powered …

Six international businesses have launched a new consortium to bring zero-emission aviation to life in New Zealand. The Hydrogen Consortium’s vision is to support the country to pioneer the commercial deployment of green hydrogen-powered aircraft. The partners are international aerospace leader Airbus, global green energy company Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), leading world airline Air New Zealand, next generation energy company …

New Zealand company Fabrum, a world leader in zero-emission transition technologies to enable a lower-carbon economy, announced its $23M Series A financing led by London-headquartered AP Ventures with participation from Australia-based Fortescue Future Industries, Japan-based Obayashi Corporation and New Zealand-based K1W1. With the new funding, Fabrum plans to expand its global presence and scale up its manufacturing capacity with a …

The first all-electric Mercedes-Benz trucks bound for Australia and New Zealand have rolled off the production line. Mercedes-Benz Trucks will begin a local validation programme for the zero emission eActros in Australia and New Zealand this year. An all-electric eEconic will also undergo a validation programme in Australia. Four eActros and one eEconic electric trucks will operate with a wide …

JCB will feature its new hydrogen combustion engine—the company’s solution for zero carbon emissions for construction and agricultural equipment on the international stage at North America’s largest construction show, CONEXPO/CON-AGG (CONEXPO) 2023 in mid-March. The hydrogen combustion engine from JCB has been revealed during a media event in England. Initially, the company designed an excavator that used a hydrogen fuel …

New Zealand is currently facing a problem with the de-hiring of empty shipping containers with an estimated 40,000 unused containers awaiting transportation out of the country. The issue is causing frustration among clients in the supply chain as containers sit in warehouses waiting to be collected, while trucking companies in turn wait for empty de-hire slots, according to a recent …

SEA Electric has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with systems integrator MEVCO, which specialises in battery electric light commercial vehicles, to provide electric Toyota Hilux and Land Cruiser models for the mining industry. Under the deal valued at nearly AU$1 billion, MEVCO will commit to order 8500 units during the next five years. More than half of the 2023 …

Global transport is on the cusp of substantial changes driven by constant innovation in technology, the need to deliver more, a powerful surge in customer expectations, and pricing. In New Zealand, the industry has seen a wide range of ups and downs during the past year, all of which influenced the survival of many businesses. As fleet companies prepare for …

Australian freight giant Team Global Express has made the biggest order for electric trucks in Australia after landing an AU$20 million deal with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to fund the purchase. The deal involves the purchase of 36 medium duty electric trucks from the Swedish based Volvo Trucks and another 24 light rigid e-canter battery electric trucks from Daimler …

A consortium of British engineering and industry bodies is developing a zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell-powered version of the Toyota Hilux Led by Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd (TMUK) and funded by the UK Government through the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), the project will develop the technologies to integrate the second-generation fuel cell components from the Toyota Mirai within an electrically-propelled …

In log transport, we continue to ramp up coverage of an array of new innovations in electric, hydrogen and diesel-hybrid powered vehicles, truck automation and platooning. Right now, there’s a huge amount of interest by larger fleet operators. Already, a number of firsts for fuelling log trucks in this part of the world are underway and being planned for early …

NZX-listed Scott Technology has an agreement with construction and mining equipment manufacturer Caterpillar to develop an automated connection system to support stationary charging of electrified machines. Under the collaboration, Scott Technology will apply its Robofuel product technology, which successfully automates the traditional diesel refuelling process of mining vehicles, to enable solutions in electrified applications. Electric mining vehicles will require more …

Tesla has completed an 800-kilometre drive of its soon-to-be-delivered electric Semi with more than 36 tonnes in gross vehicle weight. That’s according to a tweet by chief executive Elon Musk on 27 November. This follows an earlier tweet by Musk in October which said first deliveries of the truck are set for food and beverage corporation PepsiCo on December 1. …

Södra is launching a major initiative to electrify the operation’s transportation. A new project will study the future potential to operate electric-powered trucks, forklifts and loaders that can help further reduce the association’s fossil-fuel emissions. Södra is currently a net producer of electricity and is aiming to reach net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2040. A natural step in this …

Softwood forest growers of Southern NSW and North East Victoria joined forces with one of their major customers, Hyne Timber, to host a driver safety day and start a conversation with the forestry transport industry. All truck drivers leaving the Hyne Timber Tumbarumba mill during the day pulled in for a conversation on driver wellbeing and fatigue, chain of responsibility …

In New Zealand, OneFortyOne’s Kaituna Sawmill and its partners celebrated its first export shipment of woodchip out of Port Marlborough last week, as part of a new export initiative with partner Marusumi Whangarei Co Ltd. Woodchip has been accumulating at Shakespeare Bay over the last three months, in preparation for the loading of the Southern Star Vessel which docked on …

Many commercial fleet operators are thinking about transitioning their vehicles to hydrogen or natural gas engines. These fuels can be great ways to reduce emissions. Both fuel options present similarities and differences across a variety of areas. For example, both hydrogen and natural gas are predominantly used in their gaseous form in vehicle applications. This leads to similarities in some …

Car giant Volvo has shocked the motoring industry, announcing plans to stop selling petrol vehicles in Australia by 2026, with a top executive calling the older technology a “shrinking business”. Volvo’s Australian deadline will come four years before its worldwide target to transition to electric vehicles, and comes one week after it launched its first electric car in Australia. Volvo …

Volvo Group is investing 75 million euro (NZ$126m) to develop battery module production at its truck plant in Ghent, Belgium. It expects to be in production by 2025 and will strengthen the manufacturer’s battery system supply chain which currently relies on partners for the supply of cells and modules. The battery module manufacturing line in Ghent will be able to …

Tesla Semi Hitting the Market. The Tesla Semi Truck is a fully electric vehicle that features an “autopilot” mode to help with semi-autonomous driving. This truck is soon to change the whole trucking experience. Elon Musk twitted that he is very excited to start production of the Tesla Semi Truck with deliveries to Pepsi on 1st December 2022.

Costs for NZ road transport businesses have risen almost four times higher than inflation in the last quarter, according to the latest Grant Thornton Cost Index. The quarterly index shows that there has been an overall quarterly increase to June 2022 of 6.24% to road transport business costs, compared with a 1.66% increase in the CPI inflation for the same …

Lots of excitement and lots of challenges. Talk to manufacturers engaged in the fast-moving electric vehicle industry and both descriptions quickly work their way into the conversation. Such was the case Tuesday afternoon at the 2022 IndustryWeek Manufacturing & Technology Show, where a keynote panel discussion on the future of electric vehicles launched Day 1 of the conference and expo …

Logmeter, is an automatic system that delivers in real-time high-precision volume measurements and estimates biometrics characteristics of wood logs loaded on a truck before entering the mill. Forestry companies are increasing the application of technological tools in their industrial processes. Control, efficiency, and the strengthening of sustainability throughout their value chain are some of the challenges that companies address with …

The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) Growers Chamber’s Work, Health and Safety Subcommittee (WHSS) has helped drive two new initiatives to improve safety across forest industries transport. The initiatives, funded under Round 7 of the Federal Government’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI), managed under the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NVHR), include: • A ForestWorks project to develop two new projects …

If one guy can call his electric-car company Tesla, why not call theirs Edison, a couple of Merritt entrepreneurs figured. While the real-life Tesla and Edison, ground-breaking inventors, became fierce rivals, Edison Motors has a way to go before catching up with Elon Musk’s car company. But the journey has begun: Chace Barber and Eric Little are building hybrid electric …

Swedish manufacturer Volvo Trucks is beginning series production of its heavy-duty electric models with global deliveries set to ramp up.  And customers in Australia and New Zealand can expect to see the vehicles on local roads in the near future.  Electric versions of the company’s “most important” heavy-duty truck range includes the Volvo FH, FM, and FMX which can operate …

Fennell Forestry, the Mount Gambier based harvest and haulage company has commissioned the world’s second ever electric log truck, in the hope of providing a realistic carbon-zero solution for the industry. Transport is Australia’s second highest contributor to carbon emissions. A single diesel-powered log truck produces in excess of 500 tonnes of carbon every year.  Converting to an electric engine …

Soaring fuel prices and greener policies have given electric vehicles (EVs) a serious boost in recent years. Now the attention is turning to trucks, but manufacturers still face a dilemma over which technology can best do the job. Some companies like Volkswagen are embracing battery-electric trucks because they’re cheaper and the charging infrastructure is more developed. Others such as Hyundai …