Video: Mainfreight highlights EVs in transport strategy

Mainfreight is focusing on battery electric vehicles and battery swap electric vehicles as a way to supplement its fleet and help decarbonise road freight. 

The New Zealand-based freight giant has released its Sustainability Overview 2022 which outlines a number of sustainability measures it’s taking in transport. 

“Low emission heavy vehicles are going to be critical in efforts to decarbonise road freight,” the company says. It points out road freight is currently a growing source of emissions.

However, it says the rate of innovation and development in zero emission technologies is “exciting but still has some way to go before widespread adoption”. 

“Our current explorations focus on supplementing our fleet with battery electric vehicles and battery swap electric vehicles. 

“Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and hydrogen dual fuel vehicles do not currently feature in our fleet mix but remain technologies of interest,” it says. 

In New Zealand, Mainfreight now has four Fuso eCanters which are operating in Auckland and Hamilton. There are options for a further 10 also being considered, it says. 

The full electric eCanter features a 81kWh lithium ion battery which allows 120-150km range and can be charged within an hour. The light-duty EV has 135kW of power, an electric motor with two-stage regenerative braking, a 3.5 tonne payload and advanced safety features. 

Meanwhile, the E700 with battery swap is being installed as New Zealand’s first heavy intercity general freight model, operating between Auckland and Hamilton. 

Mainfreight will operate its own battery swapping and charging infrastructure in Hamilton using energy generated by its on-site solar installations. 

“Battery swap electric vehicles offer an attractive solution to several of the drawbacks in hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles. “Specifically it takes advantage of battery electric lower operating costs but overcomes the range, charging time and payload restraints, by having smaller quick to charge batteries. 

“This allows the use of lithium ferrous phosphate batteries rather than lithium ion which are safer, more stable and less environmentally harmful. 

“We expect this vehicle will reduce our road freight emissions by over 100 tonnes of CO2-e per year,” the company says. 

In Australia,  Mainfreight has eight new electric truck builds underway including two Hino 300 SEA 85s and six Foton iBlues.

Both variants have a similar range of approximately 200km and operating payloads between 2.5 tonne and over five tonne. It expects all eight EVs to be on the road in Australia before the end of the year predominantly serving major metro areas. 

In Europe, the company has brought on two new EVs with one DAF and one MAN e-TGM to serve Tilburg in the Netherlands.  It was among the first Dutch cities to impose a ban on fossil fuel vehicles in major urban areas due to come into effect from 2025. 

Mainfreight says it will look at serving more of Europe over time with a zero emission fleet. 

Overall, the company has a road fleet policy agreed with owner drivers which requires vehicles in its fleet be no older than 10 years. 

“Our fleet age on average is around 5-6 years. This compares with national average fleet ages of around 14 years for Europe, The United States and Australia and around 18 years in New Zealand. 

“As a result the majority of our fleet are the equivalent of Euro V or VI. More modern vehicles are not just more fuel efficient, they also produce fewer particulate pollutants that can affect air quality and local health outcomes,” it says. 

Mainfreight is also looking to rail and coastal shipping as a way to reduce emissions from the freight sector. 

“Often forgotten amongst the glitz and glamour of new technologies, the humble train or coastal ship offers immediate emissions reductions,” the company says.

“Mainfreight have invested heavily in supporting infrastructure for rail and coastal freight modes, including inbuilt rail sidings at many of our branches that allow us to offer seamless integration of these service types,” it says