All “Heavy vehicles” topics

Follow the University of Canterbury InTIME Team as they identify next big steps that can help New Zealand turn the corner to low carbon, in just three days!

In December last year ContainerCo (NZL) began operating New Zealand’s largest electric heavy vehicle (eHV), which can carry three 20 ft containers and is 22 m long. This was done with support from the Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority (EECA). It took about a year to design and deploy, and currently moves containers between port and rail facilities and ContainerCo depots in Auckland.

While the previous article (Dec 19) focused on light motor vehicles (LMVs) and looked at the trends and opportunities, this article focuses on heavy motor vehicles. There is a big outcry for battery-operated trucks or hydrogen fuel cell powertrains and less for liquefied natural gas (LNG) or the idea of encouraging the industry to quickly adopt the latest diesel technology to reduce emissions. The first half of this article provides an overview of the broader socio-economic aspects of tackling change, whereas the second part focuses more on the technical details.

In June of this year, the government announced that safety would be given strategic importance in land transport policy. Australia has extended both responsibilities and penalties along the heavy vehicle ‘chain of responsibility’ – will New Zealand follow Australia’s lead?