> Cement Australia deploys electric heavy duty truck innovation

Cement Australia has recently delivered its first load in New South Wales with an electric Janus JE410, the latest addition to its fleet. The Janus JE410 was purchased originally as a Kenworth T410 Glider and was then converted by Janus Electric into a battery electric vehicle (EV).

According to Janus, this is the first fully manufactured electric Class A truck in Australia. Fuel tanks have been replaced with exchangeable batteries providing 620kWh in total, along with an electric blower discharge that works off the battery.

Under the bonnet, a 350kW motor is capable of producing around 490 horsepower with a range of four to six hundred kilometres, attached to a 12-speed gearbox.

The truck, rated to 70 tonnes, can also operate using a concrete plant’s power by having external powers plugged into it.

Cement Australia General Manager – Supply Chain & Logistics, Blair Price, told Prime Mover that the fleet purchases around 20 Kenworth models a year and decided to have one of them electrically converted to contribute towards the cement and concrete industry’s ambition for net zero carbon concrete by 2050.

“We’re traditional Kenworth customers, so we basically decided to have one of our normal trucks converted so that the transition for our drivers into a new bit of kit would be easier,” he said. “It’s effectively just a standard T410 Kenworth without the driveline. We’ve only just taken delivery of it, so we’ll run the wheels on it for the next 12 months and then be able to put key performance indicators (KPI) up against

> BA-triples approved for use in South Australia

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and the South Australian Department of Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) have approved a new configuration. The BA-triple will be approved for use on the roadtrain network on state-controlled roads in South Australia.

BA-triples are now an eligible combination under the National Class 2 Road Train Authorisation Notice 2022 (No.3) (in South Australia only) and the South Australian Class 3 Road Friendly Suspension Mass Exemption Notice 2022 (No.2).

NHVR Chief Executive Officer Sal Petroccitto said that including the new BA-triple combination in these important access notices would deliver operational and safety benefits.

“Wherever we can, we want to introduce safer and more productive vehicles on our road networks,” said Petroccitto.

“The NHVR assessed the dynamic safety performance of BA-triples and found their handling ability to match that of AB-triples, which already have access,” he said.

“While the network currently only includes South Australian statecontrolled roads, we’re working with DIT and local governments to progressively extend it.”

Petroccitto said it was another example of the NHVR, government and industry working together to develop a safer, more productive solution to the transport task.

“I thank DIT, the Motor Trade our normal diesel ones.”

Janus Electric General Manager, Lex Forsyth, told Prime Mover that after several conversations and ideas were proposed, Cement Australia decided to go ahead with the Glider’s conversion. “Cement Australia reached out to us in interests of having a deeper look at our product, and they decided that they wanted to go ahead with a new Glider,” he said. “It hasn’t been an easy journey to get to this part, but Cement Australia have come along in the journey with us in developing this product,” said Forsythe.

“They’ve been great partners to work with.”

The electric truck will be initially operated in Queensland and will then travel to New South Wales where it will operate out of Cement Australia’s Glebe Island warehouse.

Association SA/NT and Livestock & Rural Transporters Association of SA (LRTASA) for their collaboration on this initiative,” he said.

LRTASA President David Smith said that using BA-triples would reduce handling risks and improve safety in the industry.

“Eliminating the need to break down AB-triples with a light loaded rear trailer into a single and a B-double combination, will save time, reducing costs for the operator, but more importantly it will bring significant safety benefits,” said Smith.

“Using BA-triples will reduce the risk of injury to the individual reconfiguring the vehicle, and also to the driver and other road users by having these more stable vehicles on the road.”