7 News Adelaide: Electric Truck Prototype (3/3/2024)

Summary

Australian electricity provider Ausgrid is developing electric vehicles to reduce transport emissions. They have created electric truck prototypes for testing, with rapid charging enabling long daily range. Ausgrid's CEO believes these could form a zero-emission fleet of the future. The company aims to facilitate electric vehicle charging alongside powering homes and businesses. This aligns with their goal to reduce carbon emissions, not ruling out future nuclear power among potential clean energy sources. Overall, Ausgrid is proactively innovating to enable cleaner electric transport.

Takeaways

• 😊 Australian electricity company testing prototype electric trucks for their fleet
• 🚚 Prototype electric trucks have similar performance to traditional trucks
• 🔋 Trucks can recharge batteries in about an hour
• 🌱 Company aims to reduce carbon emissions from their fleet
• ⛽️ Eliminating exhaust and engine noise from electric fleet
• 🔌 Company already distributes electricity, looking to distribute it for EVs too
• 🚛 Testing trucks first, cars and buses to follow
• 📈 Want to lead advances in EV technology
• 🔋 EV fleet would only need recharging on busiest storm response days
• ☢️ Company CEO doesn't rule out nuclear power playing a role in energy transition

Q & A

What type of vehicle is being tested by Ausgrid?

Ausgrid is testing prototype electric trucks.

Why is Ausgrid interested in electric vehicles?

As a distributor of electricity, Ausgrid wants to learn how to distribute electricity to power electric vehicles.

How long does it take to recharge the electric truck's batteries?

The trucks can recharge their batteries in about an hour with a split charger set up.

What is the benefit of electric trucks having no exhaust or engine noise?

Electric trucks with no exhaust or engine noise are better for the environment and reduce noise pollution.

What daily range do the electric trucks typically have?

The electric trucks typically have a 250+ km daily range.

Who is Mark England and what future does he predict?

Mark England is the CEO of Ausgrid. He predicts electric vehicles will be the 'fleet of the future' as part of reducing carbon emissions.

Is Ausgrid considering nuclear energy as part of its future energy mix?

Yes, Ausgrid is keeping an open mind about including nuclear along with other energy sources in the future.

Why does Ausgrid want to reduce carbon emissions?

As an electricity provider, reducing carbon emissions helps Ausgrid transition to cleaner energy and fight climate change.

What has Ausgrid already electrified besides trucks?

Ausgrid has electrified cars and buses in addition to trucks.

How can electric trucks improve Ausgrid's operations?

Electric trucks can help Ausgrid improve operations by reducing noise and emissions during tasks like storm response.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Electric Vehicles Coming to Trucks Sooner Than Expected

Australian electricity company is developing electric truck prototypes to reduce carbon emissions. The trucks can recharge in an hour and have a 250km range. The CEO envisions this as the truck fleet of the future, part of their efforts to transition to cleaner energy.

Keywords

💡electric vehicle

Electric vehicles run on electricity instead of gas. The news story discusses how an Australian electricity company is developing electric trucks and buses. This relates to the overall theme of transitioning vehicle fleets to cleaner energy.

💡prototype

A prototype is an early model used to test a new design or technology. The company has prototype electric trucks to evaluate their feasibility and performance for potential future use.

💡fleet

A fleet refers to a group of vehicles owned and operated by a company. The goal is to transition their entire fleet of vehicles to electric in the future.

💡emissions

Emissions refer to the gases vehicles release, primarily carbon dioxide from burning gas or diesel. Electric vehicles have zero tailpipe emissions which helps reduce environmental impact.

💡transition

The transition refers to shifting from traditional gas/diesel vehicles to electric. The company aims to lead this transition to cleaner transportation.

💡renewable energy

Renewable energy includes solar, wind and hydro power. Though not directly stated, electric vehicles will likely rely heavily on renewable energy sources.

💡nuclear power

The CEO mentioned keeping an open mind regarding nuclear power. This is another cleaner energy source to meet increased electricity demand.

💡carbon emissions

Carbon emissions are the CO2 released from burning fossil fuels. The company seeks to reduce their carbon footprint through electric fleet vehicles.

💡battery range

Battery range refers to how far electric vehicles can drive on a full charge. Short range has been a key limitation of electric trucks but improving battery technology is helping increase it.

💡charging infrastructure

Charging infrastructure includes charging stations to recharge vehicle batteries. More stations will be needed to support large-scale electric vehicle adoption by the company's fleets.

Highlights

Electric vehicle sales could soon extend to trucks

Prototypes could be on roads sooner than we think

Truck looks and drives like normal truck but lacks sound of engine

Electricity company wants to distribute electricity to vehicles

Testing prototype trucks, cars and buses

Learn what works and doesn't with electric vehicle prototypes

Aim to be at forefront of electric vehicle technology

Truck can recharge batteries in an hour

Electric trucks have 250+ km range, only issue on busy storm days

CEO calls electric trucks 'fleet of the future'

Electric vehicles part of plan to reduce carbon emissions

Not ruling out nuclear as energy source for electric vehicles

Need different energy sources in transition to electric

Must keep open mind as technology evolves

Electric trucks aim to improve operations and sustainability

Transcripts

electric vehicle sales could soon extend

to trucks and they could be on our roads

sooner than we think the Australian

electricity giant behind the Prototype

calls it the fleet of the

future it looks just like a

truck it drives like one

too but it's the

sound or lack of that's different no

exhaust no engine this is electric

osgrid as a distributor of electricity

to homes and businesses we want to work

out how to be a distribut of electricity

to vehicles too the electricity giant

recently hit the road with cars trucks

and buses are next a fleet tonight on

trial we've got a couple of prototypes

to test and learn and really figure out

what works and what doesn't and try and

be at the Forefront of the technology

and as we learn from that then we'll

look at what else we can roll out and

improve the way we do our operations

with a split charger set up a truck can

refuel its batteries in an hour meaning

smoko for tradies isn't just about

refueling themselves they normally have

like a 250 km plus range uh so it would

only be on really busy days where we've

got a sort of storm response and we're

in and out and all around Sydney um that

we might be pushing that o grid CEO Mark

England calls it the fleet of the Future

Part of his prediction to reduce carbon

emissions not ruling out nuclear we're

going to need a lot of different sources

of energy in this energy transition and

we've got to keep our our minds open and

Technology evolves all the time Bill

Hogan 7 News