The Australian Trucking Association has urged the Federal Government to support the increased use of high-productivity vehicles as a key part of its net zero roadmap for transport.
The ATA’s submission to the Government’s Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Consultation Roadmap also outlines the need to incentivise the use of low- or zero-carbon vehicles.
ATA CEO Mathew Munro outlines that high productivity vehicles could carry more freight per trip, meaning fewer trucks are required to transport the same load.
“For example, a fleet of 36.5 metre A-doubles would use 72 percent of the fuel and only need half the number of trips to move the same payload compared to a semi trailer fleet,” Mr Munro said.
“Increasing the productivity of the existing diesel fleet would be a win for operators as well, because they would be able to transport the same amount of freight with lower operating costs such as fuel and maintenance.”
Mr Munro says the evolution pathways for alternative fuel heavy vehicle technologies are unclear, urging the Government to consider a mix of fuel types rather than focusing solely on battery electric vehicles.
“The Government should remain fuel agnostic and be open to a mixture of alternative fuels and technologies, including combustible and hydrogen fuel cell options,” he said.
“Alternative fuels offer significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels. Renewable diesel, produced from renewable feedstocks such as oilseed crops, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 63 to 77 percent compared to petroleum diesel.”
Read the ATA submission here.
