First Electric Heavy Vehicle (eHV) for NZ Roads

Media Release

November 12, 2019

Container hire and sales business ContainerCo, with support from Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority (EECA), has introduced New Zealand’s largest electric heavy vehicle (eHV).

The Isuzu truck, which can carry three 20’ ft containers at 22m long, is the maximum size allowed on New Zealand roads, without a permit.

On the road this week, it will move containers between port and rail facilities and ContainerCo depots in Auckland.

ContainerCo managing Ken Harris said the new electric truck marks an important step in reducing air and noise emissions.

“We operate our container hire, sales and services businesses from sites right around the country and the ability to silently and cleanly move containers to and from rail and ports in urban environments is a big step forward,” Mr Harris said.

“We can see a lot more units in our fleet in the future as well as EV’s replacing diesel powered forklifts inside our facilities quite soon.”

ContainerCo worked in a funding partnership with the EECA, to identify an energy efficient eHV of this size with the ability to operate up to 15 hours before recharging.

“We are excited to welcome the first electric truck to our fleet, in partnership with EECA. It is the first step of an ambitious long term programme to prove the viability and desirability of transforming our fleet of handling and transport equipment to EV.

“ContainerCo operates facilities that handle hundreds of thousands of shipping containers around the country and with innovation we can electrify a wide range of our vehicles including forklifts, cranes, and support vehicles.

“We expect this new truck to demonstrate the opportunity to reduce environmental impacts and improve the efficiency”.

“EECA’s advice and support enabled us to take this first step. More eHV’s will be added to the fleet and introduced to other regions as we build experience and the charging network expands”.

About ContainerCo and the eHV

ContainerCo businesses include the hire and sales of modified and unmodified shipping containers throughout New Zealand, and the operation of empty container parks in key New Zealand import and export centres. This requires the moving of empty containers between facilities, and to and from port and rail. The size of this task increases year on year as trade grows and the transport of these containers is frequently within urban environment and over short distances.

Supported by EECA, ContainerCo’s purchase of New Zealand’s first electric powered container delivery vehicle is a pilot program to demonstrate that ContainerCo’s transport business, and that of other companies, suits using trucks powered by electricity alone.

Expected to be the first of several units, the truck was selected after a review of the available technology, the relevant transport market, and the resulting financial costs and benefits.

The unit is an Isuzu conversion and designed to carry three empty containers with a theoretical range of 350km. Real world conditions will see this reduce when transporting containers to around 200km.

The unit operates silently, reducing noise pollution, and allows ContainerCo to deliver to and from rail and port facilities in urban environments at times when there is limited traffic on direct routes without disturbing residents.

In turn this supports ContainerCo’s facilities’ opening longer hours, and new routes and services providing a competitive advantage and increased efficiency for its customers and business.

ENDS

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