Australia's electric truck industry has released a five-point plan aimed at removing barriers that are slowing the transition to zero-emission freight vehicles, arguing that policy and regulation now represent the primary obstacles to adoption rather than the technology itself.

The Electric Vehicle Council's new ELECTruck: Powering Australia's Trucks with Australian Energy- report outlines a series of proposed reforms intended to strengthen the economic viability of electric trucks, expand charging infrastructure, and increase the utilisation of vehicles already operating on Australian roads.

The report comes at a time when fleet operators face increasing pressure to reduce emissions while managing rising fuel costs and meeting growing expectations from customers, investors, and governments regarding sustainability performance.

According to the Electric Vehicle Council, Australia's electric truck fleet is currently underutilised because regulations originally developed for diesel-powered vehicles continue to apply to battery-electric trucks, despite their lower noise and emissions levels.

Julie Delvecchio, Chief Executive Officer of the Electric Vehicle Council, stated that Australia risks missing the outcomes associated with freight electrification if regulations fail to keep pace with technological developments.

"Australia has invested in the cleanest, quietest delivery technology ever built - and then locked it out of the very hours where it would make the biggest difference, a rule designed to solve a diesel problem is now blocking the very technology that solves it," said Delvecchio.

The report identifies five areas in which the industry believes governments can accelerate the deployment of electric trucks.

The recommendations include:

- Streamlining electric truck incentives through simple point-of-sale programmes.
- Removing noise restrictions that prevent electric trucks from operating during off-peak periods.
- Developing a national heavy-vehicle charging infrastructure roadmap.
- Introducing a two-tonne payload concession to offset battery weight.
- Improving access to local roads and freight routes for electric trucks.

For fleet operators considering electrification, several of these reforms address operational considerations, including payload capacity, vehicle utilisation, and charging availability.

A central theme of the report is the need for a coordinated national approach to heavy-vehicle charging infrastructure.

While countries such as the United Kingdom have committed significant funding to heavy-vehicle charging networks, the Electric Vehicle Council states that Australia has yet to develop a comprehensive strategy for electric freight transport.

The lack of charging certainty remains one of the most frequently cited barriers among fleet managers evaluating electric truck deployments, particularly for larger vehicles operating on regional and interstate routes. The report also examines the potential impact of electric trucks on Australia's energy security.

Cameron Rimington, Senior Policy Officer - Heavy Vehicles at the Electric Vehicle Council, stated that every electric truck introduced into a fleet reduces dependence on imported diesel.

"An electric truck can displace up to 45,000 litres of diesel per year, scale that to 50,000 trucks and that's 2.25 billion litres of diesel no longer imported, worth almost AUD 5 billion (US$ 3.53 billion) at current prices," said Rimington.

For organisations developing fleet decarbonisation plans, the report states that electric trucks are being considered for a range of urban and regional freight applications. However, industry representatives argue that larger-scale deployment will require governments to remove regulatory barriers and establish the infrastructure framework required for broader implementation.

The report follows an open letter signed by more than 45 organisations across the transport, energy, and logistics sectors, including Volvo Trucks, Daimler Truck, IKEA, DHL, Tesla, ABB, JET Charge, Kempower, and Fortescue, calling for coordinated national action on heavy-vehicle electrification.

As more fleets transition from pilot projects to operational deployments, attention is increasingly shifting from vehicle technology to the policies, infrastructure, and operational settings that will influence the pace of freight-sector electrification in Australia.