Australia to promote electric truck ramp-up with inductive charging

The Australian government is funding a university research project to establish wireless charging technology for electric vehicles with 3 million AUD. The goal is to promote the uptake of heavy electric vehicles.

The Swinburne University of Technology leads the project and is working on an 8.2 million AUD prototype to embed “advanced wireless charging infrastructure on regional roads.” According to the researchers, the technology will help transform the heavy vehicle industry and “electrifying heavy vehicles could save Australia $324 billion by 2050.”

Charging infrastructure for long-haul trucks is still an issue in the country, or, as the press release from Swinburne University put it, “an urgent roadblock” for the electrification of the sector. Wireless charging integrated into Australia’s roads could ensure that electric trucks will “enough charge with heavy loads or over long distances.”

The 3 million AUD grant is provided via the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) Grants scheme. Companies ACE Infrastructure, SEA Electric, Fleet Plant Hire, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Siemens, ARRB Group, and Net Zero Stack are also part of the research project.

“This collaborative effort is a perfect example of our shared vision for a sustainable transportation ecosystem that can significantly reduce our environmental footprint,” says leader of the project and New Energy Technology Research Group Professor Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian.

swinburne.edu.au