Aeolus Truck & Driver News

Family owned and operated Australian homeware retailer and logistics company, the Winning Group, has expanded into New Zealand – opening a large distribution centre in Auckland.

Its Winning Services division is offering third party logistics for “big and bulky home products” via its just-opened 6300 square metre distribution centre in Waitemata Ports of Auckland.

With Waitemata Ports being one of the main hubs for entry and dispatch of overseas goods, it says that the DC’s location ensures that it “can uniquely mitigate middle mile logistics costs and decrease supply chain lead times for third party customers.”  

The Winning Group – one of Australia’s leading re...

Mercedes-Benz Trucks is about to begin production of its first series-produced battery electric heavy truck, the eActros. 

During the development of the vehicle, the company has particularly focused on the “customer co-creation” aspect, in which truck customers are closely involved in the model’s development. 

Accordingly, prototypes of the eActros went into intensive customer testing as long ago as 2018. This enabled the experts at Mercedes-Benz Trucks to take the customer feedback into account early on and directly incorporate it into the vehicle’s development. 

Since 2018, 10 eActros prototypes have formed an “Innovation Fleet” in which they have pr...

A battery swapping station for a Chinese-made heavy-duty electric truck is among the new low-emission commercial transport projects getting Government co-funding.

The latest round of funding from the Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund – announced by Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods last month – has a heavy emphasis on electric truck projects.

Etrucks, the New Zealand distributor for XCMG Chinese trucks, has a heavy-duty electric tractor demo unit in the country with a swap-battery system – giving it an extended range.

The batteries can be swapped in seven minutes or less – but need a gantry crane to carry out the changeover.

Etrucks has been gra...

Putting one of the country’s first FUSO eCanters to work is a major step towards Genesis Energy increasing the proportion of electric or hybrid vehicles in its 110-strong truck fleet, the company says.

“Transport contributes approximately 21% of New Zealand’s gross domestic greenhouse gas emissions, but until now there have been very few options to reduce emissions from the heavy truck fleet,” says Cameron Jardine, Genesis GM of LPG and small and medium business. 

“As this is one of the first series-produced fully electric trucks to hit NZ roads we have a lot to learn about how to incorporate electric vehicles into our truck fleet, and what other adjustments we will h...

A consortium of truckmaker heavyweights, comprising the Volvo Group, Daimler Truck and the Traton Group (formerly Volkswagen Truck & Bus) plans to pioneer a European high-performance charging network for heavy-duty electric trucks.

The three have signed a non-binding agreement to install and operate a high-performance public charging network for battery electric heavy-duty long-haul trucks and coaches across Europe. 

The aim is to initiate and accelerate the development of charging infrastructure to enhance customer confidence and to support the EU’s legislated transformation to climate-neutral transportation.

The agreement lays the foundation of a future joint ...