National full-service logistics solutions provider Centurion will amass and operate Australia’s first 100 per cent Renewable Energy off grid Battery Electric Truck fleet in a program, backed by the Government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) Future Fuels Program.
The $29 million project plans to integrate 30 Battery Electric Trucks into Centurion’s existing fleet, powered by solar generation and off-grid battery energy storage by the end of 2024.
Supported by ARENA’s investment of $15.8 million, Centurion is installing charging equipment, integrated energy generation and storage infrastructure, at its Hazelmere depot in Perth.
Once ready, the 30 Mercedes-Benz eActros Electric Trucks will service the wider Perth metropolitan area, supported by four megawatts of rooftop solar, 10 megawatt hours of battery, and 15 dual port slow and fast chargers.
Centurion CEO Justin Cardaci said: “This project represents a significant step in Centurion’s decarbonisation journey and continues our work towards an operational future with net zero emissions. Centurion actively seeks to deploy technology where it’s ready to displace the diesel transport equivalent and the ARENA funding certainly helps support the project’s economics.
Centurion is a national operator serving the resource hubs and remote communities of Australia.
“For most of our operations, the zero emissions heavy transport technology won’t be ready for several years. However, battery electric trucks are now ready for operations across the wider metropolitan area and it’s great that Centurion has the capacity to bring this technology into our fleet,” Mr Cardaci said.
“Operating a real zero emissions truck fleet from off grid solar and battery is a significant step in supporting the energy transition.”
“With more than 2400 employees across Australia, customers from a wide range of sectors, and the multiple communities that rely on our service, it’s important we demonstrate a genuine commitment to sustainable operations and drive decarbonisation projects like this one.”
Centurion and ARENA, in collaboration with Daimler Truck, Geniux Cleantech Group and Switch Batteries, will deliver quantifiable emissions reductions, and generate meaningful environmental benefits for Centurion and the broader community.
FAST FACTS – Mercedes-Benz Trucks eActros
Range: 300km. In our local testing, we achieved 300km with 20 per battery left when fully loaded.
Gross Vehicle Mass (total weight of truck and cargo): 16 tonnes.
Permits required: None. Truck meets all Australian regulations.
Drive system: eAxle with two integrated liquid-cooled motors and two-speed transmission
Output: 536hp (400kW) peak performance and 443hp (330kW) continuous output
Batteries: Three lithium-ion battery packs with 336kWh capacity
Cabin noise: 10dB noise reduction, which is an approximate halving of the perceptible in-cabin volume
Active safety: The eActros can automatically brake for pedestrians and vehicles if the driver is distracted using front and left side radars and a front camera.
In addition to this Standard Active Brake Assist 5 feature, it also comes with Stability Control Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Attention Assist, Stability Control Assist, Roll Control Assist and tyre pressure monitoring.
Pedestrian alert feature: An acoustic Vehicle Alert System fitted as standard. An acoustic warning system that sounds when the vehicle travels at speeds of up to 60 km/h in order to make pedestrians aware of the vehicle.
Charging time: Charging from 20 per cent to 80 per cent takes 1hr 15min (using 150kW charger)
Mirrors: Traditional wing mirrors have been replaced with cameras which improves vision and removes a blind spot created by traditional mirrors. The second generation MirrorCam system is standard featuring two in-cab A-pillar mounted 15-inch monitors.
Recuperation braking: Five-stage recuperation braking system works like an engine brake to both spare the service brakes and recoup significant amounts of electricity, which is fed into the batteries.
First introduced: Innovation fleet eActros operational in 2018. Production version introduced in Europe in 2022.
Origin: Produced at Worth, Germany
