A quiet revolution has just started in the forests near Rotorua and on the highways of the Bay of Plenty and central plateau.

The Rotorua Forest Haulage (RFH) fleet has a new Scania which is very different to the others working in the familiar green and white colours.

It’s a 45 R model, an R Series 6x4 tractor unit which is working as a 9-axle B-Train logger. That alone is different because anything other than 8- and 9-axle truck and trailer combos are a rarity in modern Kiwi log transport.

But this Scania is also fully electric, and its one-off role is to kick-start an RFH trial for battery electric technology at the heavy end of road transport and test its suitability for the demands of the logging sector.

The learnings from electric trucks continue to build. 

I’ve tested a couple of EVs before, but this Scania and its role stand out. It’s less about point-to-point performance and more about assessing the commercial viability of heavy electric vehicles in road transport. That learning focus is refreshing, and it’s exciting to experience what these trucks can do in a real-world application.        

What better way to test the new Scania 45 R BEV than in a B train logger spec on a 57.2t permit. That’s why we’re here — to run the new Rotorua Forest Haulage tractor unit towing a purpose-built Patchell B train, all configured around the truck and the work it will be doing for learning purposes.

After a run to the port at the Mount Maunganui fully loaded and back to KPP for another load into Rotorua, it’s my turn to take the wheel from regular driver Jono Gray.