Australian EV Truck Manufacturer Doubles Assembly Capacity
Electric truck manufacturer SEA Electric has extended its commitment to the Australian market by doubling the size of its local assembly facility for zero-emission trucks in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong.
The company leads the world in terms of a comprehensive range of highly adaptable electric truck options, with its present plant expanding to now cover 8,000m2 on a total site of 15,000m2, giving SEA Electric the capacity to produce eight trucks per day, or up to 2,080 units per annum.
Founded in Australia in 2012, SEA Electric released its first electric commercial products in 2017, while last year it launched its new range of medium and heavy-duty electric cab chassis models, distributed and supported by an extensive dealership network.
“Australia doesn’t need to search the world to attract EV manufacturers – SEA Electric is proud to be a global leader in commercial eMobility technology, homegrown here in Victoria,” said Tony Fairweather, SEA Electric Founder and CEO.
“Since launching our new range last year, we have attracted incredible interest from a wide cross-section of leading companies and government bodies, who seek to improve their environmental sustainability, despite a lack of policy and incentives to fuel growth in the sector on these shores.
“The recent change of Federal Government and the subsequent increase in EV activity, has provided SEA Electric with renewed confidence that appropriate policy and incentives maybe close. There are many examples of successful policy in EV progressive countries such as the US that we should simply emulate.
“Despite Australian passenger car production wrapping up in 2017, we still have vibrant engineering, development, and manufacturing capabilities, of which we should be proud.”
SEA Electric’s existing facility has for the past 12 months enjoyed the benefits of a 100kW rooftop solar array, which has produced 129MWh of energy to date, with 86MWh being exported back to the power grid.
All told, the system has ensured that the site is approximately 60 per cent carbon positive, in other words, it produces 60 per cent more energy than it consumes.
As a cornerstone of the new energy ecosystem, in future, SEA Electric will utilise the batteries within vehicle-to-grid (V2G) functional trucks on-site, where the trucks could provide power grid stability by feeding energy back at times of peak demand or grid disruption.
The local range of SEA Electric badged trucks, the SEA 300 EV and the SEA 500 EV, are available in a range of models from 4.5t GVM vehicles capable of being driven on a car licence, through to 22.5t three-axle rigid trucks.
Final applications for the products include dry and refrigerated freight, side, front and rear refuse trucks, tilt trays, work trucks and elevated work platforms amongst others, with the company recently launching Australia’s first airport refuelling EV truck.
Supporting the vehicles is a comprehensive aftersales and warranty offering, including 24/7 phone and roadside support, plus a nationwide network of dedicated service partners.
- Published in Articles, E-Range, Media Release, Networking, News, SEA-Drive, Technology
SEA Electric Grows Leadership Team with New Board Appointment
Global commercial eMobility innovator SEA Electric has expanded its leadership team, with the appointment of John MacLeod to the company’s Board of Directors.
MacLeod, the CEO of Rivet360, a digital media and technology company that combines content, location technologies and artificial intelligence (AI), brings to SEA Electric unique insight into cutting-edge practices from an impressive body of work.
“We are proud to welcome John MacLeod to the SEA Electric Board of Directors, and we look to lean on his wide-ranging experience as we continue our growth in electrifying the worldwide commercial fleet,” said Tony Fairweather, SEA Electric Founder and CEO.
“SEA Electric is in a privileged position in being able to attract industry leaders from across a wide range of sectors, and that combined knowledge pool is continuing to fuel our innovations.
“We now have a truly global presence, with products deployed across seven countries, which now includes India, while our established bases in countries such as the USA and Australia are currently being significantly expanded.
“Additionally, there are exciting projects we are exploring throughout Asia and Europe, with our technology applicable to a massive array of final deployments.
“We are in a fortunate position that at this time of accelerated growth and acceptance of EV technology, we present to the market products that have already been extensively proven in the field as the most efficient, best-performing solution available, all while offering outstanding value for money.
“We welcome John aboard and look forward to working together in the future.”
Rivet360 produces award-winning podcast and video content for brands and publishers and developed proprietary IP for delivering content to cars, mobile phones, and businesses.
Prior to Rivet360, MacLeod was Executive Vice President at NAVTEQ, and was integral to the company’s growth across strategy, product, marketing, and sales roles and championed its expansion into software, traffic, and the Chinese market, revolutionizing consumer digital navigation products from a time when paper maps were the norm.
During MacLeod’s tenure, NAVTEQ grew revenue by 600 per cent, with the company ultimately selling for US$8.1 Billion.
MacLeod spent nearly 20 years working for entertainment companies, holding significant finance and development roles at Disney and Sony to expand global entertainment offerings, including theme parks, hotels, and retail.
He began his career as a Disney Imagineer on the opening teams for the Disneyland Paris and Epcot Center theme parks.
MacLeod earned a BA, with Honors, from Harvard University, concentrating in Economics, and has an MBA from Stanford University.
He has been awarded four patents addressing location technologies and content.
- Published in Articles, E-Range, Media Release, News, SEA-Drive, Technology
SEA Electric Success Continues at Australian Freight Industry Awards
Industry recognition of SEA Electric’s products has continued, with the world’s first range of all-electric trucks claiming the Sustainable Environment Award at the Australian Freight Industry Awards over the weekend.
The accolade, as sponsored by National Transport Insurance, follows on from the company claiming the Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia’s Product Innovation Award for 2021, plus the Green Car Journal’s 2022 Green Car Product of Excellence™ Award.
The Australian Freight Industry Awards this year attracted a record number of nominations, with around 700 people gathered at the Crown Palladium in Melbourne for the announcement.
With sustainability at the centre of the current transport industry conversation, the SEA Electric range of zero-emission trucks is available now from a nationwide dealer network, with a pedigree proven in the field since the company was founded in 2012.
“The Australian Freight Industry Awards are one of the most coveted accolades within the local transport industry, so for SEA Electric’s innovations to be recognised is a great honour,” said Bill Gillespie, SEA Electric President Asia Pacific.
“The sector has recognised that there is a need to embrace sustainability if the country is to meet its environmental goals.
“The transport industry is the second highest producer of carbon dioxide emissions across the country outside of traditional power generation, and to progress to a carbon-free future, we are working closely with all levels of government to accelerate change.
“The work carried out by the SEA Electric team is world-leading, and a cornerstone to our global expansion, which has seen products now deployed in seven countries.
“It’s an exciting time to be leading the charge in the zero-emissions logistics space, and we look forward to making our next steps in the SEA Electric story.”
The local SEA Electric offering is led by the SEA 300 EV and SEA 500 EV models, which are assembled in the company’s Victorian plant.
This lineup represents 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 rigids, which can be adapted to a massive array of final applications.
An example of this flexibility was launched last week, with the unveiling of Australia’s first all-electric aviation refueller, with the SEA 500 EV model now deployed at Brisbane Airport.
The SEA Electric range features leading performance, value for money, range possibilities and whisper-quiet operation, with zero local carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, harmful particulate or methane emissions.
In addition to a nationwide dealer network, the SEA Electric range comes complete with full factory warranties, plus 24/7 phone and roadside assistance as provided by NTI’s Truck Assist.
- Published in Articles, Media Release, News, SEA-Drive
