The little boy inside me is happy, very excited. On a current Zoom name with Lex Forsyth, Common Supervisor of Janus Vans, he instructed me that the transformed Freightliner Coronado shall be in Brisbane on March seventh and I’m invited to go alongside for a spin!!

Janus introduced lately that the second totally electrical registered Class 8 prime mover in Australia has simply hit the roads. The Janus Electrical Freightliner Coronado has exchangeable Janus Aspect Batteries (JSBs) that may be swapped in 3 minutes. A complete of 620 kWh ship as much as 600 km of vary out of 1 cost. The JCM350 Janus Conversion Module delivers 480 HP with no modification required to the outside of the truck.

This truck is rated for 70 tonnes and shall be out there for check drives and demonstrations to purchasers subsequent month.

Conversion unit for Janus Truck.

Electrical motor put in.

It has been about 6 months since I final checked out Janus, so I requested Lex Forsyth what had modified. The batteries at the moment are on the edges of the truck, changing the gasoline tanks. Two 310 kW batteries will give the Freightliner a 400–500 km vary. Beforehand, the plan was to put the batteries within the entrance of the truck, utilizing a forklift to alter them out.

Putting in facet battery in Janus Truck.

A Brisbane web site has been chosen and a charging station is beneath building. It’s anticipated to be in place by April. Janus is sourcing renewable vitality to recharge the batteries. The Port Macquarie web site has additionally been chosen. If all goes effectively, the Brisbane to Sydney route needs to be open by the top of the yr.

The Freightliner is at present being highway examined. Members of the general public who’ve come throughout the automobile — together with the “cease, go” guys at roadworks and native fireplace fighters — have been amazed at how quiet the truck is. “Geez, it’s quiet, is it on?”

Transport operators will be capable of make a sound monetary resolution about conversion to battery electrical for his or her vans. On the Brisbane-to-Sydney run, a transformed semi will use about $300 {dollars} price of electrical energy in comparison with $750 price of diesel and $50 price of Adblu. “Plus, upkeep on a diesel motor is considerably increased,” Forsyth provides.

Some operators who’ve heavy responsibility use (vans working 7 days per week, 24 hours a day) may have a ROI of a couple of yr. Forsyth expects a ten% discount in price for native drivers and a 25% discount for inter-state runs.

Robotic battery changer.

Forsyth is putting in JCM 850 Dana TM4 motors beneath the bonnet and can use a robotic change bay for quick removing and set up. He already has agency orders for 25 vans, with about 100 in means of affirmation. These orders are coming from all sectors of the trucking trade, from proprietor operators to mid-tier transporters to main fleet homeowners. He’s looking for 36 hours in a day, as demand is outstripping provide. One in all Forsyth’s considerations is about vitality safety for Australia. “We will’t proceed to rely on imported gasoline — if the boats cease we solely have 7 days left,” he stated.

For these involved about “these vans tearing up the highway” — though the load of the prime mover shall be increased, the gross weight (when loaded) will nonetheless be the identical. A transformed electrical truck shouldn’t put on the highway any greater than its unique diesel incarnation. Registration prices may even stay the identical. Forsyth is awaiting a gathering with Matt Kean to debate any points with NSW and shall be talking with Victorian officers concerning the highway utilization tax.

The longer term appears to be like very shiny. Forsyth expects to have 50 transformed semis travelling between Brisbane and Sydney by the top of the yr. By mid-2023, there shall be transformed vans carrying masses between Sydney and Melbourne.

Will Forsyth’s Janus be capable of sustain? Effectively, he has a Mannequin S Plaid on order and his mum has a Mannequin 3 Efficiency, so, sure, I feel they are going to.

Supply: Large Rigs

All pictures courtesy of Janus.

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