Cleanaway has marked a turning point in the company’s history, as it welcomes the first of two fully electric collections vehicles which form part of a three-month trial.

CEO and Managing Director, Vik Bansal said “this is an exciting step forward for our business as we continue to work toward our mission of making a sustainable future possible. With almost 5,000 vehicles on the road each day servicing homes and businesses all over Australia, we are looking for ways to do that more sustainably.”

Despite excitement about the first of a new generation of waste collection vehicles, the ability to deliver a consistent and reliable service remains a core focus.

“It’s important that we continue to deliver a consistent service each day to the households and businesses who rely on us. Sustainability is about more than removing emissions at all costs. If service levels drop or waste collection costs increase significantly for ratepayers – that isn’t sustainable.” Bansal said.

The two fully operational vehicles are among the first in Australia to be servicing kerbside collections, which means they’ll be under pressure to carry full loads and complete scheduled runs every day. “Cleanaway is optimistic about proving the reliability of the technology” said Paul Young, Cleanaway’s Head of Fleet. “The trial is designed to encourage fast learning so that the electric vehicles can continue operating once the trial has ended, allowing Cleanaway to introduce more electric and combination fuel vehicles to the permanent fleet.”

With zero emissions, the vehicles are expected to run for 180-200 kilometres before needing to recharge. The brakes also regenerate – reducing repair and maintenance costs, and the consumption of other parts like brake pads.

The vehicles will also significantly reduce noise which makes early morning or late-night collections possible for some waste streams, such as green waste, which could reduce the impact for other road users in highly congested areas. READ MORE

Article by Cleanway, 15 May 2019

SEA Electric was recently mentioned in the DRIVEN article written and published by Bridie Schmidt. Due to positive feedback from SEA Electric’s presence at the ACT Expo and at the Work Truck Show in the US, SEA Electric has been presented with several exciting opportunities. Read the full article The Driven

Article by Bridie Schmidt, The Driven, April 30 2019

• Bridie Schmidt

LONG BEACH, Calif. — The beginning of the end is here for the internal-combustion truck engine, said Roger Nielsen, CEO of Daimler Trucks North America, the largest truck manufacturer on the continent.

And the replacement for diesel-run trucks will be electric vehicles, Nielsen declared. Not trucks run by natural gas or hydrogen fuel cells or a hybrid of diesel and electric, he said.

“I believe the future is electric,” Nielsen said. “The road to emissions-free driving will be driven by battery-electric vehicles.”

Nielsen said Daimler is aggressively planning for a future of totally electric trucks and buses.

“For trucks, I do not believe in plug-in hybrids,” he said. “For trucks, I believe that natural gas-powered engines are only an interim solution. For trucks, fuel cells as a range extender on battery-electric vehicles have promise, but hydrogen fuel cells alone are not yet viable.”

Nielsen made his proclamations at the annual Advanced Clean Transportation Expo, held this year at the Long Beach Convention Center, on April 24. The expo is a gathering of officials who promote the latest in green tech, sustainable methods and environmental policies that affect the carrier and bus industries.

It was all the more radical a declaration given that Daimler Trucks supplies 52% of the trucks operated by the top 100 fleets in North America, a statistic Nielsen relayed to an audience of more than 500 during the event’s keynote speech.

Nielsen said his conclusion about the trucking industry’s more eco-friendly future was all the more odd given Daimler Trucks is an older company, founded in 1896. Daimler Truck brands are stamped on 750,000 trucks on the continent.

“We’re the old guy who is often accused of yelling epithets at the young startups who dare to cross our lawn,” Nielsen said. “I have been building trucks since I was 25 years old.”

But Nielsen said he is deluged by questions from customers who want to know more about electric trucks, powered by batteries or hydrogen fuel cells. Nielsen said his vision does not exclude hydrogen fuel cells, but the cells will not be economically viable soon.

Nielsen’s remarks come two days after Kenworth and Toyota unveiled 10 trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells April 22. The trucks will service the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, going on short runs and helping to reduce emissions in a region where smog and pollution dissipate more slowly.

The Kenworth-Toyota partnership came with some subsidy — a $41 million Zero and Near-Zero Emissions Freight Facilities grant awarded by the California Air Resources Board.

Nielsen said such subsidies will be needed to help make the transition to electric trucks. One of the reasons is the bulky nature of batteries for all-electric trucks.

“Unfortunately, there is no business case today for a sane and sober customer to buy a battery-electric truck,” he said. “Yes … it’s stripped of its accouterments of a diesel engine … But the battery packs that we add in? Boy, are they expensive. They’re heavy, and they’re large.” READ MORE

Article by Jim Stinson, Staff Reporter, Transport Topics

Victorian electric truck drive train producer, SEA Electric has received its first orders from the United States following a successful public debut.

CEO Tony Fairweather said feedback on the company’s products displayed on Ford and Isuzu platforms at the ‘Work Truck Show’ in Indianapolis and ‘Advanced Clean Transportation Expo’ in April had been favourable.

He said in a statement that orders had been received for for the F-59 electric truck, which boasts 150 kW of continuous power and 2500 Nm maximum torque.

Range is 350 kilometres and batteries can be recharged in less than six hours.

He said: “Feedback in the US to our SEA Electric technology has been extremely positive with customers placing orders.”

SEA builds its electric drive train systems at a Melbourne facility.

It is also building a new facility in Victoria’s La Trobe Valley with a capacity to produce up to 2,400 complete vans, light buses and trucks annually.

As reported in @AuManufacturing, assembly of the Ford F-59 ‘Stripped Chassis’ for the US market takes place at a Ford assembly facility in Detroit, with the Isuzu version taking place at a third-party facility.

The company is also developing a Ford Transit van option which will be available mid-2019. READ MORE

Article by Peter Roberts, @AuManufacturing, 23 April 2019

SEA Electric was featured in the DRIVEN article written and published by Bridie Schmidt. With the appearance at the Work Truck Show it has left a great impression on the government and private buyers. Read the full article The Driven

Article by Bridie Schmidt, The Driven, 15 April 2019

• Bridie Schmidt

SAE Electric is an Australian-based company that’s kicking goals on the world stage. Recently SAE Electric had a successful US launch at the ‘Work Truck Show’ in Indianapolis, where it demonstrated its electric technology, specifically engineered for heavy vehicles.

The Work Truck Show saw SEA Electric take multiple vehicle orders that will soon be deployed to cities including Detroit, Philadelphia, New York City and San Francisco.

The company will use the ACT expo to display its 100% electric-powered Ford F-59 ‘Stripped Chassis’ along with a fully electric Isuzu NRR, further penetrating the US market while providing attendees with an opportunity to inspect the world-class technology first hand.

The display Ford F-59 stripped chassis is powered by the SEA-Drive 120b power-system which produces 150kW of continuous power and 250kW of maximum power, but more importantly for a commercial vehicle, continuous torque of 1230Nm and an impressive maximum torque figure of 2500Nm.

The second of the display trucks is an Isuzu NRR that also features the SEA-Drive 120b power-system. Both vehicles have generous operating ranges of up to 350km (220 miles), removing any chance of ‘range angst’ for operators.

SEA Electric also has a Ford Transit van program underway which will enter trials mid-year.  This van features the SEA-Drive 70 power-system which provides continuous power of 75kW, maximum power of 134kW and 700Nm of maximum torque for an operating range of up to 300km (190 miles) also.

Batteries for all three vehicles can be fully charged overnight in 4-6 hours using a 22kW on-board charger, which allows them to be plugged-in and charged from any three-phase power source.

SEA Electric Group Managing Director, Tony Fairweather, said US response to the company’s SEA-Drive powered vehicles has been overwhelming and he was confident that the reception from ACT expo attendees would also be extremely positive. READ MORE

Article by Jason Cartwright, techAU, 11 April 2019

(MENAFN – Editorial) Following its successful US launch at the ‘Work Truck Show’ in Indianapolis last month, leading Australian automotive electric technology company, SEA Electric, is set to exhibit at California’s ‘Advanced Clean Transportation’ (ACT) expo on April 24-25. The Work Truck Show saw SEA Electric take multiple vehicle orders that will soon be deployed to cities including Detroit, Philadelphia, New York City and San Francisco. The company will use the ACT expo to display its 100 per cent electric-powered Ford F-59 ‘Stripped Chassis’ along with a fully electric Isuzu NRR, further penetrating the US market while providing attendees with an opportunity to inspect the world-class technology first hand. The display Ford F-59 stripped chassis is powered by the SEA-Drive® 120b power-system which produces 150kW of continuous power and 250kW of maximum power, but more importantly for a commercial vehicle, continuous torque of 1230Nm and an impressive maximum torque figure of 2500Nm. The second of the display trucks is an Isuzu NRR that also features the SEA-Drive® 120b power-system. Both vehicles have generous operating ranges of up to 350km (220 miles), removing any chance of ‘range angst’ for operators. SEA Electric also has a Ford Transit van program underway which will enter trials mid-year. This van features the SEA-Drive® 70 power-system which provides continuous power of 75kW, maximum power of 134kW and 700Nm of maximum torque for an operating range of up to 300km (190 miles) also. Batteries for all three vehicles can be fully charged overnight in 4-6 hours using a 22kW on-board charger, which allows them to be plugged-in and charged from any three-phase power source. SEA Electric Group Managing Director, Tony Fairweather, said US response to the company’s SEA-Drive® powered vehicles has been overwhelming and he was confident that the reception from ACT expo attendees would also be extremely positive. “Feedback in the United States to our SEA Electric technology from both government and private buyers has been extremely positive with several customers already placing orders,” he said. Mr Fairweather explained that the SEA-Drive® powered vehicles were ideal for urban and metropolitan back-to-base distribution applications. “For back-to-base operations EV technology is extremely attractive because at the end of the working day, these vehicles are conveniently charged (off-peak) overnight and ready to go again the next morning,” he said. “Operators can also expect a payback period of less than four years (without incentives) on their SEA-Drive® powered truck or van, so with a battery lifecycle of up to 10 years, there are great efficiencies to be gained over the whole life of the vehicle.” Earlier this year SEA Electric established its US company in Los Angeles and appointed its first US-based employees to guide its new products and future projects through US certification and distribution. In its home country of Australia, SEA Electric is already the commercial EV technology company of choice, supplying power-systems to many leading OEMs and large operators. The company also manufactures several of its own CBU (completely built up) van, light commuter bus and truck products. Visit the SEA Electric (booth 1527) at this year’s Advanced Clean Transport Expo April 24-25, at the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach California. READ MORE

Article by MENAFN, 11 April 2019

Automotive electric technology company, SEA Electric, is set to exhibit at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) expo later this month in the US.

The Work Truck Show saw SEA Electric take multiple vehicle orders that will soon be deployed to cities including Detroit, Philadelphia, New York City and San Francisco.

The company will use the ACT expo to display its 100 per cent electric-powered Ford F-59 ‘Stripped Chassis’ along with a fully electric Isuzu NRR.

The display Ford F-59 stripped chassis is powered by the SEA-Drive 120b power-system which produces 150kW of continuous power and 250kW of maximum power, but more importantly for a commercial vehicle, continuous torque of 1230Nm and a maximum torque figure of 2500Nm.

The second of the display trucks is an Isuzu NRR that also features the SEA-Drive 120b power-system.

Both vehicles have operating ranges of up to 350km.

SEA Electric also has a Ford Transit van program underway which will enter trials mid-year. This van features the SEA-Drive 70 power-system which provides continuous power of 75kW, maximum power of 134kW and 700Nm of maximum torque for an operating range of up to 300km.

Batteries for all three vehicles can be fully charged overnight within four-to-six hours using a 22kW on-board charger, which allows them to be plugged-in and charged from any three-phase power source. READ MORE

Article by Prime Mover Magazine, 11 April 2019

On the eve of the federal budget, Labor unveiled a new electric vehicle policy that has never been tested before in this country.

If elected, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has promised that 50 per cent of new car sales would be electric by 2030.

The pre-election pitch is being sold as a way to help achieve Labor’s emissions reduction target of 45 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030, and an opportunity to kickstart an electric vehicle manufacturing industry.

But it raises questions about the future cost of cars, how the fuel excise will be replaced and whether boosting electric cars is the right solution to a pressing global problem.

SEA Electric, based in Victoria, has an order bank running into hundreds for its battery-powered commercial vehicles and has just set up an assembly operation in Los Angeles to supply the US.

Founded six years ago, it exploits proprietary engineering to make battery trucks and vans using Hino, Isuzu and Ford bodies.

Managing director Tony Fairweather says Australia lags other nations in providing incentives for battery vehicles and risks “missing the boat” on the global transition to EVs.

But he welcomes the ALP’s initiative as a first step. “There’s zero support right now. The announcements this week were recognition that the EV revolution is pending and hopefully that will transition into supporting industry.”

He says small-scale operations such as SEA Electric face challenges getting financial backing with local banks “too conservative”.

But ironically, he says, the lack of incentives have helped SEA Electric adopt a uniquely effective approach.

“The fact Australia hasn’t provided us with incentives and substantial grants to develop our technology has actually been to our benefit because we had to develop something that stands on its own two feet in terms of its cost base,” he says.

The comparisons with the US, where Fairweather was launching the SEA Electric operation a few weeks ago, are stark.

“There’s been so much support and incentives for both manufacturers and end-users that those who have started to move into this space — and there is some competition over there, although not substantial — have developed higher cost and more sophisticated technology than is required in the commercial vehicle sector,” he says.

SEA Electric began converting trucks when batteries first became price-competitive three years ago.

It works closely with the manufacturers that supply the vehicle bodies and the process takes about four months from order to delivery. Most of its output has been shipped to New Zealand or the US, with handfuls going into Australian operations of companies such as Woolworths, Cleanaway and Ikea.

However, their experience is winning them over.

“Our trucks can do the same job as a diesel truck and it’s actually cheaper to buy when you look at its total life,” Fairweather says. “They are now starting to buy volume — we see the next orders being double-digit.”

Fairweather says the advantages go beyond environmental concerns. “There’s performance, cost, convenience — a whole heap of things about EVs that are attractive.” READ MORE

Article by Philip King, Motoring Editor, The Australian, April 4 2019