WINNER: The First Australian Produced All-Electric Truck
In 2021, SEA Electric launched Australia’s first volume produced range of all-electric trucks, including the SEA 300 and the SEA 500 models, suiting applications from 4.5 tonne car licence vehicles through to 22.5 tonne 3 axle trucks.
The SEA-Drive® Power system is currently available in four specifications, ranging from 180HP/700Nm, through to 470HP/3,500Nm, with various battery capacities from 88kWh through to 220kWh.
The trucks are produced from a Semi Knocked Down (SKD) kit, with the donor truck cab mated to chassis rails, suspension, wheels and all drive-train components at the SEA Electric factory.
The process has resulted in many specialist jobs being created, both in the company’s engineering ranks and within the factory.
Read the full article at HVIA published on November 19, 2021.
- Published in Articles, E-Range, Media Release, News, SEA-Drive, Technology
Cutting Transport Emissions with Melbourne-Made Electric Trucks
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.
- Published in Articles, E-Range, News, Technology
GATR EV Places Major Electric Truck Order
GATR Truck Center has made a significant step toward an all-electric transport future, with a deal to acquire 1,150 zero-emissions SEA M5 electric vehicles (EV) for its clients across Minnesota and Iowa.
The deal will see the first 40 trucks delivered by the end of 2021, with the remainder delivered throughout 2022, with demonstration models made available for fleets to sample the technology for the first time.
The package features the Hino Class 5 chassis, fitted with a SEA Electric SEA-Drive Power System. The truck’s drivetrain features a 1,106-lb-ft electric motor in combination with a 138 kWh battery pack, which provides performance and range potential.
For GATR EV, the announcement will form the cornerstone of an e-commerce system currently in development focusing purely on the sale of electric vehicles.
“The GATR companies are proud to be a leader in this huge momentum shift towards electric vehicles in our industry,” states Matt Gordon, president of GATR Truck Centers/GATR EV. “We pride ourselves on being innovators in our industry, being stewards of the environment, and exploring new opportunities to facilitate our customers in growing their companies and becoming more profitable.”
GATR EV has struck a partnership with Merchants Fleet Management Company, which will give clients access to the national leasing company. For Merchants Fleet, the deal is the first step in a commitment to making 50% of its mobility fleet electric by 2025, and 50% of its managed clients’ fleets EV by 2030.
Read the full article at NGT News by Ariana Fine published on November 12, 2021.
- Published in Articles, E-Range, News, Technology
SEA Electric Proves Solar Strategy
Australian zero-emissions truck manufacturer SEA Electric has turned to rooftop solar power for its Melbourne assembly facility, with the installation of a 100kW solar power system SEA Electric says its system features an array of 250 x 400W solar panels and is currently tracking at 90 per cent carbon positive, having produced 24MWH of energy to date.
“Here at SEA Electric, we are proud to be leading the charge to eliminate CO2 emissions through our range of all-electric trucks; the next logical step has been to run our manufacturing facility purely on solar power,” said Glen Walker, SEA Electric Vice President – Asia Pacific.
“Electricity generation and transport are the two biggest producers of carbon dioxide in Australia, so all-electric transport powered by renewable energy makes a lot of sense moving forward.
“For new SEA Electric owners, making the switch to zero-emissions logistics eliminates diesel consumption and lowers maintenance costs, with fewer moving parts requiring less ongoing servicing.
“The SEA Electric range provides financial advantages for daily use over conventional trucks, even if charged by power supplied from the grid.”
Electric vehicles are only one aspect of the new energy ecosystem, with the vehicles having the ability to provide energy storage opportunities, which in the future will pave the way to further power grid stability and flexibility.
The Founder and CEO of SEA Electric, Tony Fairweather, has first-hand insight regarding the deployment of large-scale electric-powered fleets in the USA.
“Many of these large fleets utilise their vehicles for less than half of a 24 hour day; the balance is spent in depot yards, where rooftop solar panels can generate ample power supply to fully charge their batteries,” Fairweather said.
“Consider a future transport depot to be a nationally networked, renewable power plant, not only charging fleets but also offering excess stored energy back into the power grid, possibly supported by additional on-site battery storage.
“While Moss Landing in California houses the world’s largest and most expensive battery storage facility, SEA Electric plans to deploy more battery capacity in 2024 than that entire facility.
“Essentially it is mobile and readily available storage ‘on wheels’.
“With Australia now agreeing to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 at the recent UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), look no further than networked depot power plants to contribute substantially to achieving this critical milestone.
“Generations to come are depending on it.”
Further details on the SEA Electric range and its national dealer network can be found here.
Read the full article at Truck Sales published on November 5, 2021.
- Published in Articles, E-Range, News, Technology
SEA Electric Builds and Badges 8.5-Tonne Capacity Clean-Fuel Trucks in Melbourne
Destined for a range of heavy duties, from transporting mining supplies to moving temperature-controlled freight the first SEA 300-85 has been manufactured in Melbourne.
SEA Electric, an Australian company specialising in the assembly and 100% electrification of commercial vehicles for a global market, today announced the first of its 8.5 tonne SEA 300-85 trucks to roll off its Melbourne production line.
The truck, with a 138 kWh battery driving a motor with 1,500 Nm torque, has been delivered to Mineral Resources (MRL), a mining services company that provides services to clients throughout Western Australia, and also operates iron ore, lithium and other mines in the Pilbara and Goldfields regions of the state.
MRL will use the SEA 300-85 to transport materials between mine sites, and this particular vehicle will serve as a flagship for the company’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint — that is, it will take pride of place at community events and roadshows.
“We’ve developed a transition plan to a low-carbon future and that includes reducing our reliance on diesel,” Mike Grey, MRL’s Chief Executive of Mining Services, said in a statement.
He added, “Our mission is to grow our mining services and operations responsibly,” and transport offers the company a low-hanging-fruit opportunity for reducing carbon emissions.
Transportation for mines comes clean
The SEA announcement comes just weeks after the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) invested $5 million in New South Wales Hunter Valley-based battery technology producer 3ME Technology which enables miners to swap out diesel engines with innovative modular battery electric systems.
Direct and indirect (from energy used to power operations) emissions from oil, gas, mining and metals processing industries in Australia contribute more than a quarter of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, which has led the CEFC to increase its focus on decarbonising Australia’s resources sector
CEO of the CEFC, Ian Learmonth, said earlier this month that, “The decarbonisation of Australia’s resources sector is critical to our clean energy transition and electrification has an important part to play.”
SEA Electric has been performing driveline swaps on existing internal combustion-engine powered trucks since 2017, and it says the move to become an Original Equipment Manufacturer, constructing vehicles “from new” on its new Melbourne production line will reduce the cost of its trucks, increase efficiencies, reduce waste and accelerate the speed of manufacture.
Electric trucks in all sizes
The SEA300-85 is one in a full range of pure electric truck models — from 4.5-tonne trucks that can be driven with a car licence, to 22.5-tonne three-axle rigid transporters — available through a network of 12 dealerships around Australia.
Founded in Australia, SEA Electric is now headquartered in Los Angeles in the US and supplies customers in the US, New Zealand, Thai, Indonesian and South African markets.
Less than a week ago it announced its largest ever order, for 1,150 SEA Hino M5 EVs, from GATR EV a division of GATR Truck Center which has five dealerships across the US states of Iowa and Minnesota.
GATR has a partnership with Merchants Fleet, a fast-growing US fleet-management company which has committed more than $2 billion towards electrifying 50% of its mobility fleet by 2025, and 50% of its clients’ fleets by 2030.
To meet such demand, GATR Truck Center is developing an e-commerce system that will sell purely electric vehicles and its strategic partnership with SEA Electric, said Jay Klemp, Director of Sales at GATR EV, means “we can build enough of these Hino trucks to provide demonstration vehicles and also solutions to our future fleet partners.”
Look, you guys, no incentives!
Nick Casas, SEA Electric Vice President of Sales and Marketing, said last week, “This is our first four-digit order and it comes in a non-incentive state, which proves that commercial EV solutions can expand in areas with no incentives”.
SEA Electric is in the process of replicating the production techniques it has developed in Australia for other global markets.
“Australian manufacturing and ingenuity is alive and well, said Bill Gillespie, President of SEA Electric in the Asia Pacific region.
”The response from the transport industry since the launch of our local volume production is heartening,” he added, saying the company hoped to pass many more milestones on the road to its stated mission, which is to eliminate more than a billion kilograms of CO2 emissions over the coming five years.
Read the full article at PV Magazine published on October 25, 2021.
- Published in Articles, E-Range, News, Technology
Largest Truck Order in SEA Electric History
Global transport company SEA Electric took a big step forward in the U.S., with confirmation of an order for more than 1,000 SEA Hino M5 EVs, the single largest order in the company’s history.
Set to be delivered to GATR EV (a division of GATR Truck Centers), the zero-emission trucks will feature the patented SEA-Drive Power System. The SEA Electric offering of pure-electric systems is adaptable to most OEM glider chassis platforms, from medium-duty Class 3 to heavy-duty Class 8.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, over the past 18 months, SEA Electric has established a nationwide network of technology partners as well as collaborations with leading OEMs.
The SEA M5 EV model featured at the recent ACT Expo in Long Beach, California, complete with the SEA-Drive 120a Power System, which is specified for truck platforms with a GVWR of 13,000- to 18,000-pounds (Class 3-5). The package features a 1,106 lb.-ft. electric motor in combination with a 138 kWh battery pack.
“This deal is the culmination of years of research, development and growth, and proves that SEA Electric is on track to be number one when it comes to electrifying fleets across the world,” said Mike Menyhart, SEA Electric President – Americas and Chief Strategy Officer. “The market is looking for a proven EV solution, and with SEA Electric, we bring that to the industry technology which has been verified with millions of miles of real-world use. Furthermore, this announcement reaffirms our commitment to continue our rapid expansion within the North American market, and sets the scene for an exciting 2022.”
For SEA Electric, the milestone is the company’s first four-digit order.
“And, it comes in a non-incentive state, which proves that commercial EV solutions can expand in areas with no incentives, while all corners of the market are seeking premium EV solutions,” said Nick Casas, SEA Electric Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “GATR should be congratulated for being at the forefront of EV supply and being capable of servicing the needs of large fleets immediately. GATR has a partnership with Merchants Fleet, which will benefit the end-user, who will not only be able to access an electric solution straight away, but will be able to transact with one of the most respected leasing companies in the USA.”
Merchants Fleet has committed more than $2B toward having 50% of its mobility fleet electric by 2025 and 50% of its clients’ fleet electric by 2030. The company has also launched an Adopt EV program, designed to help guide businesses through each step of the fleet electrification process — from assessing needs, to purchasing the right vehicles, to charging options and infrastructure support.
GATR Truck Center, which features five dealerships throughout Iowa and Minnesota, currently has an e-commerce system in development to sell purely electric vehicles. The first 40 vehicles are expected to be delivered by the end of December 2021, with the remaining vehicles to be delivered throughout 2022.
Read the full article at Green Fleet Magazine published on October 20, 2021.
- Published in Articles, E-Range, News, Technology
Interview with Bill Gillespie, President – Asia Pacific at SEA Electric
Fleet Auto News Caroline Falls talks with Bill Gillespie, President – Asia Pacific of Australia’s newest truck OEM, SEA Electric. Gillespie recently joined SEA Electric after many years at Hino Australia. Gillespie talks about his move, about SEA Electric’s exciting new trucks, and about SEA Electric’s shift to California. This is a transcript of the interview edited for brevity. For the full interview you can listen to the podcast linked here.
Caroline
Welcome, Bill, it’s a thrill to have you on our podcast. I’ve been following developments at SEA Electric for about five years since seeing a Bucher garbage truck retrofit by SEA Electric at a fleet exhibition. It’s been an exciting journey for sure, and I can’t wait to hear more about it from you, and to share it with our listeners.
Bill
Thanks Caroline. It’s great to be with you today.
Caroline
Firstly, let’s talk about you joining SEA Electric, which is a recent development. When, why and how did that come about?
Bill
I joined in May this year. In my role at Hino I’d worked on the SEA Electric project, and I’d made a good connection with the founder and CEO Tony Fairweather. Over the time, I became more and more interested in the project, and more and more interested in the whole zero-emission world. I’ve always been a great advocate for greener technology, so it seemed like an obvious segue for me for the next stage of my career.
Caroline
Fantastic. One of the highlights of the Brisbane Truck Show this year, where we’re talking about SEA Electric working with Hino — was the unveiling of the SEA Electric trucks, some of them built on the Hino chassis imported and built here I think by SEA Electric. Can you tell us everything about the SEA Electric trucks built here by Hino?
Bill
The two trucks in our range, the 816 (Hino 300 series) — a smaller delivery truck used for infrastructure work, like tip trucks and council trucks, and, then a larger truck — a GH (Hino 500 series) — both of those are imported from Hino in Japan, as SKD, or semi knockdown kits. We assemble them in our factory in Melbourne. We assemble the truck on a jig and then we install the SEA Electric power system or the drive system into the trucks so that’s a fully built up unit from SEA Electric — assembled in Australia, in Melbourne for the Australian market.
Caroline
Fantastic. I think the introduction of an electric truck, the ideal size for these parcel and grocery deliveries at this juncture, where we have a COVID driven surge in online shopping, is magic.
Bill
Yes, that’s the most recent truck. The truck is aimed primarily at last-mile delivery, or home delivery service similar to the current truck that Woolworths for instance use. They’re one of the end-user companies that are going to trial these vehicles. We have already done extensive testing in Australia on that truck. Already it is reaching the payload benchmark, and also the range benchmarks, that we’ve set. So it is very exciting to be able to offer an Australian built, assembled electric truck that can be driven on a car licence. There is a huge demand for that in the Australian marketplace, from a range of different customers.
Caroline
Amazing. So, with this swelling of the fleets by Woolworths and Coles and others, is that just being in the right place at the right time for you?
Bill
It’s not just happenstance. It’s part of the strategy to offer a last-mile delivery truck. You don’t need to be Einstein to work out the last-mile delivery business is huge and growing and will continue to grow by all forecasts. So, what we know is companies are seeking a zero-emission solution for that type of work. So if you can offer one, then arguably, you’ve got, a marketplace that’s growing, and one into which we think we can slot very successfully.
Caroline
I’m also noting recent discussions now about electric vehicles aren’t so fixated on range anxiety anymore.
Bill
I think range anxiety as they describe is fairly quickly becoming an old conversation. Just recently, ARENA, a federal government infrastructure funding body, released a range of grants for different companies to instal charging infrastructure in Australia. That subsidy was for over 400 (chargers). I know Ampol is one of the companies and they plan to introduce electric charging modules to all their forecourts over the next two to three years. So, that range anxiety that people may experience today, just won’t be part of the conversation. You’ll be able to charge your cars pretty much anywhere you like. Clearly it still takes longer to charge a car than it does to put fuel in it. In the truck world, what we see is they’re charging at their base; they go out, they do their run, and they come back. So with some of the companies we work with that’s exactly how they operate, they charge from their own renewables structure — either solar on the roof, or they have another way of generating renewable energy, and they charge their trucks overnight, on a low-cost tariff regime. So they’re not saying to us, when we talk to them, that range is an issue; it’s just not a conversation. But, it’s horses for courses. Of course, if a truck is going to be driven from Sydney to Newcastle and back every day, that’s a different challenge and one that probably isn’t going to be met today by an EV truck.
Caroline
Just turning to something else now, I did mention in the intro that SEA Electric has been deemed an OEM, or original equipment manufacturer. Is that because you also do complete own design and build. Can you tell us more about the designation
Bill
You need to be assembling or manufacturing your own truck, which is exactly what we do. We bring the componentry in from around the world. We also have a percentage of the truck that’s made from locally produced items — cabling, and switch gear and items like that. In that sense we’re no different to Volvo who have a factory at Wacol (in Brisbane). And we’ve joined the Truck Industry Council. We will have our registrations listed with the Truck Industry Council, just like every other truck manufacturer.
Caroline
I also wanted to talk about the shift of SEA Electric headquarters from Victoria to California. California has long been a leader in the shift to sustainable energy and a proponent of it. I’ve interviewed public works fleet managers from that state so I know there’s a lot going on there in that space. But tell us in, in your words, why did SEA Electric move its headquarters to California, and when?
Bill
Well, look, I think there’s a lot of energy in Australia for zero-emission solutions, no doubt about that. We’ve had some great support from buyers around Australia, also companies and governments. I guess the fact is, of course, that the market is a certain size in Australia. We want to recognise that and respect that but the North American market is just a much bigger scale. So, if you are going to grow a business in this space, you need to be looking to North America and also Europe. We’ve just established an office in Germany. We want to stretch out, spread our wings if you like. The North American market is very important. The Californian opportunity is big because they’ve got a lot of incentives for Californian companies to change to zero-emission trucks, so it made sense for us to be in that market initially, and eventually we’ll have offices right across North America.
Caroline
Wow, I’m looking forward to keeping my eye on SEA Electric. So, just talking about this boon that’s going on for you, I hear that an IPO, or initial public offering, may be being considered. Is there anything you can tell us about that, like, could it be a dual listing on the Australian exchange as well as in the US. I guess the chief benefit is that it gives SEA Electric the ability to raise capital to expand. Is that the case? Is that what you and the board are envisaging — rapid growth and planning for that.
Bill
Obviously, it costs money to scale to this level. And building trucks and the infrastructure is not without its cost, so growing the business means we need to, at some point, decide whether we list on a stock exchange and which one is it. It is more likely to be the NASDAQ; that’s most likely to be in the first part of 2022, although that’s yet to be decided. But, yes, we would like to list and go with an IPO in the first half of next year, if that timing works out.
Caroline
Well, let’s finish up now with you telling us what to watch out for next from SEA, and also maybe from the electric vehicle world, generally.
Bill
I think, really for us, we’ve just finished this last-mile delivery prototype refrigerated truck. That’s the next two months; that prototyping trial program will be over, and then we will be in the market with that truck. It’s a very exciting project for us as a company, but also for the marketplace in Australia, and a real Australian first. The truck will meet the range of mileage in kilometres on auto charge and that’s game changing for the market. The other one we’re doing is, we’re working with Hino on an on-demand bus — the small Poncho 21-seat bus that they currently sell in Australia. We are working with them on a prototype and a project to repower that vehicle with an electric drive system, and that will also be a very exciting project in the first half of 2022. More generally, we’re seeing governments across Australia, mostly state governments, very interested in the whole zero-emissions space, and that’s not just electric — it’s also hydrogen and hybrid. So that whole world is really heating up. Queensland’s got their so called superhighway. And, Victoria is very keen to involve the state government, not only in just the technology but also in the potential manufacturing side as well.So it’s a really exciting time to be in the electric vehicle industry.
Caroline
It certainly is. It’s just fantastic. Thank you so much for your time today Bill Gillespie, it was informative to hear what’s going on, and just great to be part of this exciting journey for SEA Electric, and for electric vehicles generally.
Bill
Thanks Caroline’s it’s been great to be with you. Thank you.
Read the full article at Fleet Auto News by Caroline Falls published on October 13, 2021.
- Published in Articles, E-Range, Networking, News, Technology
Driving the SEA Electric Truck
As alternative power systems for trucks come into play the driving experience is going to change, so PowerTorque took a couple of examples out on the road to find out what it is like driving the SEA Electric truck.
PowerTorque jumped at the chance to drive some of the new electric trucks coming on line from SEA Electric. In this case the trucks were a Hino 500 crane truck and a 300 fitted with a drop side body.
Although limited, the drive was a chance to look into the future of truck driving in the urban environment.
The way these trucks have been designed make it a very similar to a driver’s experience in a diesel truck is the way the vehicle is started. The driver simply jumps in sits in the driver seat, puts the key in the ignition, turns it on and then turns ia little farther for three seconds to activate the system. This is exactly the same set of actions that driver would do when turning on a diesel engine truck, increasing that sense of familiarity.
In PowerTorque’s limited experience in driving electric trucks, the fact of the matter is there is very little to tell in terms of comparing the experiences. All electric motors have the same torque characteristics, as soon as the driver put their foot on the accelerator, they have full torque available, all of the way through the rev range.
One of the aspects of the electric truck which particularly impressed is the retardation available when the driver takes the foot off the accelerator. This is adjustable with a stalk on the steering column, exactly where the current exhaust brake control is located.
In fact this retardation performs the same function for the driver’s point of view, but from the truck’s point of view it is the valuable regenerative charging of the battery, which is taking place at the same time, and which has value for the truck’s range.
There has clearly been plenty of work being done on the way the computer controls the power system. This iteration of the SEA system feels a lot smoother when the truck takes off and slows down than an earlier model tested a couple of years ago.
This is the area where a lot of the ground work will be done to improve the acceptability of these vehicles on the market. We have seen a similar development over the years with the hybrid trucks which are in the Australian market, from Hino.
As the control system becomes smarter, the experience from the driver’s point of view becomes more normal and intuitive. There is nothing strange about the behaviour of the vehicle in response to input from the driver.
The basic principles of an electric truck are so simple and the fact that there is no need to match a transmission to an engine or accelerator input from the driver to the engines capabilities, means that just about every electric truck will feel very similar. Also, the NVH, noise vibration and harshness, measure of a driving experience will also be very similar, because of the smoothness and similarity in driveline behaviour.
Read the full article at Power Torque published on October 4, 2021.
- Published in Articles, E-Range, News, SEA-Drive, Technology
Going Global but Keeping it Local by Bill Gillespie
SEA Electric developed and manufactures it electric truck drive trains in Melbourne, assembling e-trucks in Dandenong. But now the company has gone global with the major focus in bigger markets such as the US, how does it keep the business local? – Bill Gillespie explains
It’s an exciting time to be involved in the zero-emissions truck and bus world, and especially with a company that has its origins here in Australia and now proving to be a leader on the global stage.
While SEA Electric has made significant moves both here and aboard over the past 18 months, the genesis of that growth can be traced back to 2012, when the initial work commenced on the patented SEA-Drive Power-System.
From 2017, the technology was retrofitted to a wide range of ICE vehicles, and subsequently provided the company with millions of kilometres of real-world data from these repurposed all-electric powered vehicles.
In recent times, SEA Electric has expanded its footprint to include a significant presence in markets such as the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa and Germany.
AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING SUCCESS
Locally, SEA Electric in 2021 has grown to become Australia’s latest truck OEM, with a dedicated new truck production line creating vehicles backed by a full factory warranty, and available from a network of 15 dealerships nationwide.
The trucks have been fully tested to comply with ADR standards and carry SEA Electric badging. Our local team includes in-house research and development, support, product planning and development units.
It’s a major step forward for the industry and represents the first true range of all-electric trucks available anywhere in the world, with solutions ranging from 4.5-tonne car licence vehicles through to 22.5 tonne, three-axle trucks, completely adaptable for a wide range of final applications.
To achieve this, at our base in Melbourne, SEA Electric produces the trucks from Semi Knocked Down (SKD) kits, with the chassis, sub-assembled components, steering, suspension, and driveline mated to a fully trimmed cab as sourced directly from Hino in Japan.
This streamlined process provides efficiencies on multiple fronts over retrofitting, including time and cost, whilst also producing considerably less waste.
Perhaps our biggest achievement to date is the recent launch of the SEA 300-45 model, which will be a game-changer in the rapidly growing last-mile, or home delivery segment.
Critically, this model has been designed and engineered locally, with its 4.5-tonne GVM, meaning that it can be driven on a car licence, greatly expanding the available talent pool for employers.
Another strong suit of the design is its range, which is more than capable of handling a full day of city driving on one charge. The stop-start nature of use plays nicely into the hands of its regenerative braking capabilities, which tops up the batteries every time the truck decelerates.
With the slight weight premium applied by installing a battery-powered electric driveline in a light duty truck, the genius of the design is that it still allows for 2-tonnes of body and freight, which is a desirable proposition for operators.
OVERSEES APPLICATION
While the SEA 300-45 is an ideal solution for Australia, its strengths are entirely applicable for any number of markets globally, with the local design principles being transferred to similar projects in North America and SE Asia.
In fact, the entire manufacturing process pioneered in Australia has been made available to the other branches of the company, which can be adapted into their different business models.
North America is clearly a market with tremendous opportunities in the EV space due to government led incentives, with the SEA Electric business strategy there being one of third-party upfit partners and licensing arrangements.
Locally, we continue to push on with our prominent research and development program, which dovetails seamlessly into the international efforts.
Concerning trade opportunities out of Australia, we are currently proceeding with a blended model for our New Zealand arm, where they are taking onboard Australian constructed vehicles, which are supplemented by licensed assembly provided by companies such as Blackwells.
BRIGHT FUTURE
With local production set to accelerate, the possibilities for SEA Electric in Australia are exciting, with high demand and support from the local market.
The beauty of the SEA-Drive Power-System is that it is adaptable for a wide variety of platforms. For instance, our local team has worked with our global partners to develop solutions for a wide variety of vehicle types, including buses, light commercial and delivery vans, with the opportunities being endless.
More and more, governments in Australia are taking environmental leadership, with our customer base growing extensively with many state and local authorities being early adopters of the technology.
Coupled with massive expansion in the nation’s EV charging infrastructure, we are proud to be pioneering the emissions free future of the transport industry.
Bill Gillespie is the SEA Electric President – Asia Pacific, bringing to the company a lifetime of industry experience, including from leadership roles at Hino Trucks Australia, Nissan Australia, Kia Motors Australia and Toyota Motor Corporation Australia.
Read the full article at AU Manufacturing by Peter Roberts published on September 29, 2021.
- Published in Articles, E-Range, Networking, News, Technology
AP Equipment Financing Creates Financing Solutions for SEA Electric Medium Duty Electric Step Vans
AP Equipment Financing is pursuing an initiative to provide competitive finance programs for package and delivery customers looking to acquire electric vehicles. To begin this initiative, AP will be providing finance solutions for SEA Electric‘s suite of electric vehicles tailored and designed solely for Package Delivery contractors, such as FedEx Ground.
“Financing commercial grade electric vehicles, with manufacturers such as SEA Electric, is not only a great option for providing state of the art, high-quality vehicles for our Package Delivery clientele, but this is also a socially responsible initiative that our company stands firmly behind” stated Nick Fong, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Technology Officer of AP. “Our customers have come to rely on AP’s ability to provide value-added services beyond the standard finance program. We take pride in our ability to provide the highest levels of customer service. This often entails preparing for large industry changing disruptions such as the electric vehicle transition. Staying ahead of the curve and offering finance packages customized to the unique requirements of EV’s demonstrates our dedication to our customers’ ever-changing needs, as well as our dedication to reducing carbon footprints nationwide.”
“We are at a point now where we are running major trials with some of the world’s largest fleet operators — the UPS, Staples and FedEx,” says Mike Menyhard, CSO of SEA Electric. “At the end of the day, those are the type of organizations that could very well put in three-, four- and five-digit orders, and we need to be able to show them how we would be able to support them,” According to SEA Electric, they are on schedule to deliver more than 1,000 electric commercial vehicles this year and to have more than 15,000 vehicles on the road by the end of 2023.
AP Equipment Financing and their parent company, Tokyo Century USA, recognize that addressing environmental issues is a social responsibility and will seek to contribute to the creation of an environmentally-sound, sustainable economy and society by acting with due consideration for environmental issues.
Read the full article at AP Equipment Financing by Cori Miller published on September 28, 2021.
- Published in Articles, E-Range, News, Technology
SEA Electric US Showcase Hailed a Success
SEA Electric says its display at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in California from August 30 to September 2 has been a major success for the company.
Four vehicles were displayed; a bare Ford Step Van Class 6 (SV6) chassis and a SEA Hino M5 EV chassis, with a ride and drive experience featuring a SEA Hino M5 EV (Staples box truck) and a SEA SV6 EV (FedEx Ground step van) with about 40 of the expo’s 5000 visitors experiencing these.
Australian-founded and now Los Angeles-based SEA Electric says all four vehicles have the SEA-Drive 120a electric power system it has been developing since 2012.
The expo showcased the latest products available in the alternative fuels sector, with SEA Electric providing a solution for most truck and van OEM glider chassis, from Class 3 to Class 8.
The event was also the first public display since tier one transport drivetrain supplier Meritor announced its strategic investment and shareholding in SEA Electric, with a Meritor 14Xe ePowertrain featured on the stand.
The system is suited to Class 8 refuse and linehaul trucks, Class 6-7 pickup and delivery, plus school bus applications.
“Overall, the ACT Expo was an outstanding success for SEA Electric, with hundreds of current and potential partners catching up with our team of sales and engineering staff,” SEA Electric founder and president Tony Fairweather says.
“Through networking with other companies at the expo, we are aware of a genuine interest in our products, which is particularly heartening, especially as we power towards an IPO.
“The feedback we received was incredibly positive; driving an EV is a phenomenal experience compared to anything else on the road.”
The trucks have a 138kWh battery pack, delivering up to 320km range, with a typical break-even period of fewer than four years without considering any applicable grants or subsidies.
The US ACT Expo is from May 9 to 12 next year.
Read the full article at Auto Talk by Geoff Dobson published on September 16, 2021.
- Published in Articles, E-Range, News, Technology