Rigid and Prime Mover Truck Electrification Project

Summary

Need

The Australian trucking industry is fragmented, with 184,041 trucks operated by over 41,000 trucking organisations in Australia. Outside of the large fleets, approximately 98% of them are small-medium businesses running small fleets. While preliminary trials have shown some success for small rigid BEVs in short distance metropolitan applications, large-scale prime movers are still untested in Australia.  Paired with higher initial cost, around 2-3 times more expensive than traditional diesel truck equivalent, the adoption of heavier BEVs is happening slowly. 

The project will be the first large-scale, heavy BEV deployment in Western Australia. It will showcase an off-grid solution, integrating generation, storage, and charging to bypass lengthy network upgrades. This unique approach addresses grid capacity constraints for freight operators aiming to electrify their fleets in sites with limited space. 

Action

Centurion will manage the deployment and operation of 30 BEVs (comprising 20 eActros 6×2, 5 eActros 300 4×2 Rigid and 5 eActros 4×2 Prime Movers), 15 chargers (comprising 13 50kW and 2 150kW) and the installation of a fully off-grid energy system consisting of a 9.28MWh battery (BESS) and a 3.9MW rooftop solar PV array at its largest depot in Hazelmere, Western Australia.

Outcome

The project will provide valuable insights into the operational performance of BEVs in the WA region, their versatility in serving various industry customers, and their potential to address economic barriers such as vehicle purchase cost, resale value, running costs, infrastructure expenses, and operational flexibility. Additionally, the project seeks to boost market confidence in BEV technology by sharing knowledge on reliability in high mileage use cases, potential rebuild rates, and fuel/energy costs. 

Additional impact

The UWA Department of Electrical, Electronic & Computer Engineering will receive data and conduct analysis on electrical stability and interoperability arising in practical off-grid systems, associated with: 

• Electrical stability and reliability of the off-grid system. 
• The current and voltage control algorithms used within the power electronic inverters that serve as interface for BESS, solar, and electric truck charging components. 
• Multi-mode inverter control algorithms that transition between grid-forming, grid following and virtual synchronous machine modes. 
• Design and manufacture of power electronic solar, BESS, and electric truck charger inverters.