I veco has been awarded a A$500,000 Victorian Government grant to support the roll-out of zero emission vehicles.
Iveco Trucks Australia was one of four recipients to receive the funding which will be allocated towards research, site preparation of its customisation and innovation centre (CIC), and upskilling of employees to facilitate product delivery and customer support.
Iveco Trucks Australia strategic projects and industry relations manager Marco Quaranta says the funding has been received warmly.
He says it will help Iveco plan further for the introduction of zero-emission vehicles in Australia and New Zealand, beginning with the latest generation Daily Electric.
“Given the differences in technology between traditional diesel and zero-emission commercial vehicles, considerable pre-launch preparation needs to be undertaken,” Quaranta says.
“Our funding submission took a holistic approach by identifying three key areas that we thought were vital to the successful introduction of zeroemission models.
“These centred around tooling, training and total cost of ownership comparisons (TCO).” For the research component of pre-launch preparations, Iveco has partnered with Swinburne University of Technology to review existing data and conduct research among diesel, electric and hydrogen power.
To deliver training programmes on new zero-emission models, Iveco will partner with leading tertiary institutions to upskill relevant staff and technicians prior to launch.
“Maintaining electric vehicles requires a highly specialised skillset,” Quaranta says.
“The technicians need to have knowledge that more closely matches that of an electrician, rather than a mechanic.
“Grant funding will also be used to develop a common space within the CIC facility, which will include unique tooling and safety infrastructure to allow the Iveco team to properly support and maintain the zeroemission range prior to and following its launch.”
DAILY ELECTRIC PROTOTYPES DUE IN 2023
Quaranta says Iveco Australia will receive Daily Electric light commercial vehicles around the middle of next year for local testing and evaluation.
“The Daily Electric vehicles will be fully validated direct from Europe but undergo extensive testing in Australia prior to launch, to ensure 100% suitability for Australian applications and conditions.
“Early discussions with key customers regarding vehicle arrival have been extremely positive, with many wanting to become early adopters of the technology.”
EV PLANS DETAILED IN MEETING
In July this year, Iveco outlined its zero-emission vehicle plans and expected arrivals in Australia and New Zealand during an Italian Chamber of Commerce event held in Melbourne.
The event included Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and energy, environment and climate change minister Lily D’Ambrosio.
At the gathering, Iveco Australia and New Zealand managing director Michael May and Quaranta detailed the company’s plans to introduce a broad range of zero-emission vehicles including light- and heavy-duty models with both battery and fuel cell options.
Iveco began preparations to introduce alternative fuelled vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2021, with the announcement of its new CIC facility for pre-launch development work in local markets.
Following the introduction of the new generation Daily Electric van, it’s expected a broad selection of models across various weight classes will join Iveco’s zero-emission line-up over a three-year period.
Quaranta says preparation for the company’s zero-emission product roll-out are progressing well.“There’s considerable preparation involved in introducing such new technologies to market,” he says.
“We’re working through a detailed pre-launch process to ensure a smooth roll-out of these vehicles.
“We want to make sure the zeroemission range exceeds customer expectations both in terms of dayto-day operational performance, but more broadly across all facets of vehicle servicing, maintenance and support,” he adds.
As part of a global venture, Iveco partnered with EV truck start-up Nikola in September last year and unveiled a joint manufacturing facility.
Located in Ulm, Germany, the site is dedicated to Nikola Tre electric heavyduty trucks with production already under way.
