Janus Electric has been pioneering the conversion of diesel prime movers into fully electric trucks with swappable battery technology, a solution designed to accelerate the decarbonisation of heavy transport. Since its launch at White Bay, the company has continued to evolve, with significant advancements in technology, increasing customer adoption, and plans for future expansion.
At the Everything Electric event in Sydney last month, Lex Forsyth, CEO of Janus Electric, shared insights into the company’s progress, the growing support from fleet operators, and the challenges that still need to be addressed.
Key Milestones: Standardised Conversions and Safer Batteries
Janus Electric has come a long way from its early prototypes, making major improvements to its conversion kits and battery technology. “The advancement in the technology in the conversion kit… we’re getting uniformity across it now,” Forsyth explained.
Initially, Janus trucks were equipped with a 350kW motor, but the latest versions now feature a 540kW motor, with consistent transmission and conversion modules across all vehicles. “It’s become the electric heart transplant for the diesel donor,” Forsyth said, describing how their approach allows for scalable, repeatable conversions.
Battery safety has also been a major focus, particularly following a thermal incident in Melbourne, which prompted Janus to re-evaluate and improve battery design.
“It was a cathartic moment in the business where we’ve actually been able to step back and go, right, we’ve got to go back to basics with the battery,” Forsyth said. “Additional sensors, additional data science algorithms running over the data… has made our battery packs a far safer pack.”
With new battery chemistry and different cell technology on the way, Janus is set to increase energy density and improve efficiency. Meanwhile, its charging technology has advanced, with the introduction of 250kW charger inverters that can feed power back to the grid, transforming the batteries into an energy storage solution.
The results speak for themselves with 142 contracted orders now from fleets; Nine charge stations rolled out; and 23 trucks operational right across Australia.
Why Fleets Are Choosing Conversions Over New Electric Trucks
One of Janus Electric’s biggest advantages is cost savings. Fleet operators can convert an existing prime mover for $175,000, compared to the $750,000 price tag of a new electric truck. “It becomes a bit of an economics difference in capex,” Forsyth explained.
Another advantage is the swappable battery system, which eliminates the downtime associated with plug-in charging. “Four minutes to recharge the truck, and it’s on its way,” he said. In contrast, plug-in trucks take 1.5 to 3 hours to recharge, creating a significant operational challenge for fleet managers.
“Everyone says, ‘Oh, megawatt charging is coming.’ Yeah, that’s great. Where are you going to get the megawatt feed? How do you do that on scale?” Forsyth questioned. The issue is not just about infrastructure but also the cost of energy demand. “Imagine what the demand cost becomes for the energy… you’re putting a burden on the grid.”
For fleets that double-shift their trucks, plug-in charging simply doesn’t work. “If you look at how long it takes to recharge a plug-in truck, that’s 39 days that truck is parked up per year—nearly 10% of the year on charging,”Forsyth pointed out.
With Janus Electric’s system, fleets have the flexibility to upgrade to the latest battery technology without being locked into a specific model. “We’re agnostic to cell technology,” Forsyth said, highlighting their plans to introduce new-generation NMC and sodium-ion batteries.
Early Adopters and the Challenge of Scaling Up
Janus Electric has attracted a core group of fleet operators committed to decarbonisation, including Qube , Cemet Australia, Symons Clark Logistics, and Fennell Forestry in Mount Gambier. “Really early adopters that can see where we’ve got to go as an industry,” Forsyth said.
However, scaling adoption beyond these early supporters remains a challenge. “You’ve got to let your product do the speaking for you. You’ve got to put your product on the road and let the fleet use it,” he explained.
Forsyth also called for government funding to be better targeted, arguing that current grants favour large multinationals rather than small-to-medium transport operators.
“Instead of giving ARENA grants to major transport companies, how do we help the 10-truck operator? How do we help the 50 truck operator that actually needs the assistance?”
Another issue is infrastructure investment. Forsyth believes charging and battery swap stations should be accessible to all fleets, rather than being restricted to specific companies. “We’ve got to just change that mentality and how we do this,” he urged.
Addressing Range and Payload Concerns
Range anxiety is often cited as a barrier to electric truck adoption, but Forsyth is confident that Janus Electric’s model eliminates this issue. “As they want to increase different routes, we just put another charge station. Four minutes to swap a battery, and it doesn’t really affect it,” he explained.
Future battery developments will increase range, allowing more interstate routes to become viable. “We’re looking at doubling our range, so it’ll see greater, more of the interstate routes coming into play,” Forsyth said.
But he believes the real focus should be on urban freight first, where electric trucks can have the biggest impact. “How about we focus on 60% of the trucks that are operating in the capital cities first?” Forsyth suggested. “Look at the diesel pollution in our capital cities… trucks operating in key, constant freight routes, with people living right next to them. How about we focus there first?”
By transitioning port trucks and intra-city freight vehicles, Forsyth believes the technology will naturally evolve to handle long-haul applications. “There’s some real low-hanging fruit that we can focus on as an industry,” he said.
The Future: ASX Listing and Scaling Up Production
Janus Electric is set to take a major step forward by listing on the ASX through a reverse takeover with ReNu Energy. “That helps recapitalise the business, give us a lot more capital, expand production, but also allows for investment and impact funds to invest within the business,” Forsyth said.
With additional funding, the company is moving to a larger, purpose-built facility on the Central Coast, which will enable assembly-line production and greater scalability. “We start moving the workshop next week into a larger, designated manufacturing line,” he confirmed.
Janus Electric at Everything Electric
The Everything Electric event in March provided a platform to showcase Janus Electric’s technology, with visitors amazed by the battery swap demonstration. “People are just blown away watching the battery swap and going, ‘Really? It does it in less than a minute?’” Forsyth said.
The event attracted government officials, transport industry leaders, and the general public, all keen to learn more about range, cost, and charging infrastructure. “It’s a fantastic place. You’ve got people coming here with the right mindset of going, ‘Tell me more, I want to learn,’” he said.
With momentum building, Janus Electric is proving that heavy-duty electric trucks can be a reality now—not in 10 years.
