Australasia’s first battery electric concrete mixer truck is on the road in Auckland, delivering its first load on November 10 after some earlier test runs.

Firth Industries’ new XCMG E700 is one of the EV projects supported by the EECA Low Emission Transport Fund (LETF). Firth gained $361,000 in co-funding from the LETF to gain early experience of operating a battery electric truck in the concrete sector.

The 8x4 XCMG is equipped with a Schwing Tech G06V mixer drum capable of delivering 6 cubic metres of concrete. The 282kWh battery with fast swapping capability powers both the truck and the mixer bowl and the battery can be charged in about two hours using a 120kW DC fast charger.

The electric motor provides a continuous output of 240kW and a maximum output of 360kW with peak torque of up to 2800Nm. A six-speed automated manual transmission is fitted and the E700 is equipped with airbag rear suspension, disc braking, leather seats and an advanced safety package which includes Lane Departure Warning.

XCMG distributor eTrucks imported the E700 mixer with the finishing work (mainly Health and Safety features) being completed at Firth’s Hamilton workshop.

 “We’ve been piloting our electric truck for three months,” says Cameron Lee, Firth General Manager.

“Like any new technology, this pilot phase has been a learning experience, and we’re pleased that the truck is set to deliver its first load today. We are even more pleased that the truck only needs to be charged every three days! 

“Technology is advancing rapidly, and we recognise that this is the way of the future. That’s why we decided to give it a try and gain valuable insights from the experience.

“The truck’s carrying capacity is smaller than that of our other vehicles. This is something we will address as we shift our focus toward electrifying the rest of our fleet, and the battery sizes come down, but it’s nice to see no fumes and hear no noise coming from the vehicle.”

Firth is also exploring the reduction of carbon emissions from the concrete production process.

“Improving sustainability across our business is a key driver for Firth. Incremental improvements such as electrifying our fleet is one contribution, we are making towards reducing carbon emissions in the construction industry. It also compliments our work to deliver concrete that is 10-20% lower in carbon,” says Cameron.

“We were grateful to receive the funding for the truck from the low emission transport fund and hope that in time we can share our learnings to help the industry work towards a lower carbon future.”

The battery electric mixer truck is not the only electrification technology being trialled by Firth.

Its E-Mixer is a diesel truck retro-fitted with a battery-powered concrete bowl. Early tests point to a 20-25% reduction in diesel consumption compared to a truck with a PTO-driven mixer bowl.

Firth plans further development of the E-Mixer and to retro-fit more units in the coming years. By equipping its fleet of 450 trucks with the E-Mixer technology, Firth could reduce annual diesel consumption by about 2 million litres, thereby reducing CO2 emissions by 5,400 tonnes annually.