Aeolus Truck & Driver News

One of last local transport industry announcements of 2022 was the launch of an electric truck trial by NZ dairy giants Fonterra and Volvo NZ (and its parent company Sime Darby Motors NZ). 

A new Volvo FL Electric is working for Fonterra in the Auckland metro region, carting pallet loads of general dry goods and non-refrigerated products. It’s part of an on-going ‘data gathering’ trial and is an addition to the fleet rather than a replacement. 

Paul Illmer, Vice President Emerging Technology Business Development at Volvo Group Australia says Volvo has a battery electric or fuel cell electric alternative for every Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) mod...

With an unplanned extra year to prepare, no thanks to Covid-19, the Transfleet Trailers/Allied Petroleum Bombay Truck Show is ready to return even bigger and brighter as the first big road transport event of the new year. 

With over 400 trucks entered for display, 60 trade stands and a new Careers Zone added to the event, the second running of the show is at the Bombay Rugby Club grounds on Saturday January 21.

The show provides an early chance for the industry to showcase new models and the latest builds for 2023.

Show coordinator Marieka Morcombe says the anticipation is building not only in the industry, but also in the local community.

“T...

The new Mobile Roller Brake Testing (MRBT) machines being introduced as part of the ``Road to Zero” road safety campaign are proving to be anything but. Mobile that is.

In fact, the first five of the six new machines that should have been deployed around the country by NZ Police Commercial Vehicle Safety Teams earlier this year remain in storage at its Stanley Street base in Auckland. The sixth unit has yet to be completed as parts have been delayed.

Police Vehicle Safety Officers have been trained to use the machines but eight months after their public launch in late-February, they remain idle with Police unable to provide a timeline for introduction.

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The third round of Low Emission Transport Fund allocations will provide $2.14 million in co-funding and includes several road transport projects.

Among 11 new projects are clever solutions for electric vehicle charging, ways to cut fuel costs in heavy freight, and the first marine project will get co-funding for a trial of small electric outboard motors.

“In total, the projects will receive $2.14 million from the Government’s third round of The Low Emission Transport Fund so they can trial new ways of slashing emissions in the transport sector, in areas that were previously seen as hard to decarbonise,” says Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods.

JCB, developer of the world’s first working construction machines powered by hydrogen combustion engines, has unveiled another world first for the industry - a mobile hydrogen refueller.

The pioneering British company is investing £100 million (NZ$194 million) in a project to produce super-efficient hydrogen engines and has already showcased working prototypes of a backhoe loader and Loadall telescopic handler powered by hydrogen.

The mobile hydrogen refueller will provide a quick and easy way to refuel these machines on site. Around 97% of construction machines have fuel delivered to them while working on site. This means customers are already used to a tran...