The silent, smooth and sleek truck was handed over by Manfred Streit, Managing Director of Scania Australia to Jason McHenry, TLS CEO and Doug Painter, TLS Managing Director recently, at Scania Head Office in Campbellfield, Victoria.

“We are delighted to mark the presentation of this zero-tailpipe emission BEV truck to TLS,” Manfred said, adding: “This truck will give TLS a real-world appreciation of the benefits of silent running, zero tailpipe emissions, as well as enhanced driver satisfaction.”

Jason McHenry said the truck would be used in typical last mile deliveries in urban areas.

“We will be testing this truck across our depots around Australia to better understand the efficiencies and effectiveness of the technology, and to gauge driver acceptance. We are committed to delivering a greener tomorrow,” he said.

“The payload of 10 pallets will be suitable for our delivery needs, and the available range will be more than adequate, judging by the final mile deliveries we currently make. 

“We are very much looking forward to integrating this battery electric truck into the fleet, especially because we have been actively working to reducing our carbon footprint for transport. In recent times we have added new fuel-efficient Euro 6 Scania V8 trucks to the fleet. We have seen around a 10% reduction in fuel and emissions, hauling A-double sets, which is impressive.

“Our client base is going to be very interested as well in how we incorporate the Scania BEV into the fleet. Many have already expressed strong support for emissions-free deliveries,” Jason said.

Travis Damianopoulos, New Vehicle Account Manager for Scania Laverton in Victoria said that the new BEV would be an impressive performer.

“The Scania 25 P provides all the comforts and features and safety of a regular Scania truck, and we have worked with the local body builder, Austruck, to ensure a seamless application of the curtainsider body and Dhollandia tail lift. Attards, truck curtain and fleet graphics specialists tastefully designed the side curtains to enhance the environmentally friendly message of the 25 P, along with clear EV branding on the doors. This truck will be turning heads wherever it goes.

“From a driver’s perspective, the silence inside the cab, low NVH and the smart step-off acceleration will make this a joy to drive. Undoubtedly there will be some competition among the TLS drivers to have a go behind the wheel,” Travis said.

Scania Finance Australia provided the funding for the purchase, part of Scania’s total transport solution concept.

“TLS is a long-standing client of Scania Finance Australia, and we were pleased to be able to provide the funding for this purchase, tailoring the deal to meet the needs and expectations of our customer,” said Wayne Thomason, Country Manager for Scania Finance Australia.

“We are committed to making the funding of a Scania battery electric vehicle – and if required, the charger – as seamless and attractive as it is for any other product in our portfolio. We are very supportive of our customers moving into the BEV age and look forward to providing further financing for zero emission vehicles to Australian businesses,” he said.