Myth:

You can’t run heavy-duty trucks on electricity. The cost is too high, the range too short and the battery charge time too long. This type of truck requires diesel – especially in a country like Australia, where the major population centres are so far apart.

Fact:

It’s true that until recently heavy-duty electric trucks were costly, had poor range and took a long time to charge. But all that has now changed. Although such trucks cost up to two and a half times more than their diesel equivalents, they are 55 percent more efficient, so have much lower fuel and maintenance costs. This means that such a vehicle takes three to four years to pay for itself. If the truck is converted from diesel rather than purchased new, the payoff time is just one to two years.

That conversion can be done very quickly. Australian company Janus Electric can transform a prime mover from diesel to electric in just six days, giving the truck a range of up to 600 kilometres. When the battery is nearing empty, it can either be recharged in about half an hour or replaced in just a few minutes. Given that long-haul drivers are expected to have a half hour break every five to six hours, this provides a perfect opportunity to charge the battery.

China is the country where electric trucks are being adopted the most rapidly. The nation is phasing out its diesel fleet with dizzying speed. In 2024, just 9 percent of the heavy-duty trucks that were sold were electric. By August 2026, this had risen to 44 percent. It’s expected to reach 60 percent by the end of that same year! China also has 9,000 public charging stations that are dedicated to heavy-duty trucks. This is more than Australia has charge points for passenger EVs.

So, electrifying a nation’s heavy-duty transport fleet is not only feasible, it’s actually happening.

A battery-powered heavy-duty truck, manufactured by the German firm MAN. [Source: Wikimedia Commons]

Sources:

David Leitch, “Electrifying all road freight between Sydney and Melbourne is a no brainer: The payback is less than 4 years,” Renew Economy, 6/3/26

Hussein Dia, “Electric trucks are finally ready for prime time. Could high oil prices speed up the shift?” The Conversation, 11/3/26

Giles Parkinson, “Faster, and a lot cheaper: First all-electric long haul delivery flags new era in Australia trucking,” The Driven, 30/3/26

Ev Foley, “Heavy vehicle electrification conversion centre in South Australia, a no brainer,” PV Magazine, 24/4/26

Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson, “Record electric truck haul aims to drive down emissions,” MSN, 15/5/26

David Leitch, “Why we should follow China’s lead on electric trucks – and power it with the Australian sun,” Renew Economy, 30/6/26

“Volvo builds the first Australian-made OEM electric trucks,” Volvo, 8/7/26

“Why heavy-duty electric trucks are about to become a big thing on Aussie roads … and save you money at the checkout,” EV Central, 20/8/26. https://evcentral.com.au/why-heavy-duty-electric-trucks-are-about-to-become-a-big-thing-on-aussie-roads-and-save-you-money-at-the-checkout/

“China’s electric trucks are killing diesel,” Eastern Engine, September 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DUZHF8gm-k&t=3s  

Lee Eun-young, “China electrifies heavy trucks as CATL targets long-haul with swap batteries,” ChosunBiz, 21/10/26. https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-international/2026/10/21/SNH3Q235A5CPBFV4WO2FQQK4IU/