SEA Electric has won the Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia’s Product Innovation Award for 2021 for its all-electric trucks.

Assembled in Melbourne, the SEA 300 EV and SEA 500 EV are now available from dealers nationwide and the company also has a New Zealand presence.

This move to series production in Australia has resulted in SEA Electric becoming the country’s latest OEM, fully backed by a comprehensive aftersales offering including factory warranties and roadside service through NTI.

Launched earlier this year, the two EV model trucks represent the first comprehensive battery electric powered truck range available globally, with applications available from 4.5 tonne car licence vehicles through to 22.5 tonne three-axle trucks, SEA Electric says.

Its range features leading performance, range possibilities and whisper-quiet operation, with zero local carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, or methane emissions.

For SEA Electric, the HVIA award, which recognises industry members who have designed and utilised new technology or built an innovative product to address the growing road freight task, affirms its commitment to the Australian market.

“This is a proud day for SEA Electric and acknowledges the pioneering efforts by the team to develop world-leading technology that is genuinely making a positive impact on the environment,” SEA Electric Asia-Pacific president Bill Gillespie says.

“The transport industry is the second highest producer of carbon dioxide emissions across the country outside of traditional power generation, and this is clearly a subject that will continue to be under the microscope as the industry investigates future options.

“Here at SEA Electric, we are at the forefront of providing cutting edge products that have been extensively tested in the field and have been warmly embraced by companies looking to take environmental leadership.”

The industry recognition is validation of years of development carried out by the company, SEA Electric Asia-Pacific region vice president Glen Walker says.

“Producing these trucks here in Australia for Australia, and distributing and supporting them via a national dealer network, is resonating positively within the marketplace,” he says.

The SEA Electric range of trucks are assembled in Melbourne from Semi Knocked Down (SKD) kits, with the truck cab mated to chassis rails, suspension, wheels and the patented SEA-Drive power-system.

The drive train is currently available in four specifications, ranging from 134kW/700Nm, through to 350kW/3500Nm, with various battery capacities available between 88kWh and 220kWh.

Future-proofed with an upgradable plug and play architecture, the SEA-Drive power-system can be charged via the world’s most extensive charging network, which is 415V three-phase power through the truck’s standard onboard charging equipment, with optional DC fast charging also available.

Lower maintenance and running costs are possible, with diesel consumption eliminated and fewer moving parts minimising service costs and time, the powertrain producing no noise or fumes while reducing vibrations and its mid-mounted configuration providing additional safety and stability.

The SEA-Drive power-system had previously been offered to the market as a retrofit option for existing internal combustion engine powered vehicles, however, this fresh process of assembling the trucks from new results in less wastage, quicker build times and lower costs, the company says.

While SEA Electric is an Australian success story, the company firmly has its sights set on global leadership, with a presence now across five continents.

The company recently notched up a single order in North America for 1150 units, with further significant announcements due soon.

Read the full article at Auto Talk by Geoff Dobson published on November 24, 2021.

Tony Fairweather has seen the way delivery truck fleets can transform with the vision of sustainability.

The president of electric commercial vehicle manufacturer SEA Electric moved in 2019 from Australia to the US, where government requirements are forcing change.

“The Advanced Clean Truck regulation has been mandated by 15 US states, resulting in forced electrification of trucks over time,” he says.

“States like California, Colorado, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey all have exciting and substantive programs to financially incentivise fleets to procure zero emission vehicles.

“These programs often require the destruction of an old diesel engine in return. Very smart.”

Australia’s logistics industry is on a mission to reduce carbon emissions amid a global push to tackle the challenges of decarbonising the national supply chain.

Amid net-zero targets being adopted globally, and some US and European jurisdictions pushing for greater ambition on carbon, Australia’s transport and logistics industries are innovating to accelerate change. …

Continue reading the full article at The Australian by Rosanne Barrett published on November 23, 2021.

As well as helping companies to meet their customers’ sustainability expectations, SEA Electric’s Bill Gillespie tells us the growth of electric trucks offers fleet operators a way to make “extreme” savings on their fuel bills.

This week on Rewired, we are joined by SEA Electric’s Bill Gillespie to discuss the growing demand for zero emissions heavy vehicles.

The company has been on a rapid rise since launching their first model in 2017. Their trucks are now in operation across some of Australia’s biggest fleets, ferrying deliveries for Woolworths, IKEA, Australia Post and DHL, and also helping local councils to reduce emissions.

Founded in Australia and now based in Los Angeles, SEA Electric is expanding into international markets, with a growing presence in the US, Europe and Asia.

“It’s gone beyond, that would be a nice thing to do for the planet…”

They offer an expanding range of models for a variety of applications, as new markets emerge for mid-sized electric trucks for ‘last mile’ deliveries, buses, garbage collection, refrigerated transport and passenger vans.

Gillespie acknowledges that electric models today cost up to three times as much to purchase as diesel powered equivalents, but says the extra costs can be recouped within five years through a combination of lower fuel and maintenance costs.

He points to IKEA, who are running three SEA Electric trucks in Sydney as part of their efforts to achieve a company-wide zero emissions target by 2030.

“Each of those trucks have done over 100,000kms, they average about 200kms per day and come back to base each night and are charged.

“If you look at DHL, UPS, Amazon, all of those companies have really aggressive plans around zero emissions deliveries.”

The delivery trucks that are in service for IKEA typically cost about $12 per day to operate, offering a lower ‘total cost of ownership’ than combustion alternatives, winning out even when environmental benefits are put aside.

Made in Melbourne

In 2017, SEA Electric received $5 million from the Clean Energy Innovation Fund; a program jointly administered by ARENA and the CEFC.

The funding supported the development of their proprietary Sea-Drive system, which they install in new rolling chassis and can also retrofit existing vehicles.

Gillespie says the fact their trucks are manufactured in Melbourne is a unique selling point.

“Yeah, I think they’re pleasantly surprised that they are made in Australia, that’s a big advantage for us right now.

Read the full blog and listen to the podcast at ArenaWire published on November 18, 2021.