Zenobē has revealed a $100 million investment in an effort to double the adoption of heavy-electric trucks in Australia.
With around 1000 heavy-electric trucks currently on the roads in Australia, Zenobē is hoping to reach approximately 2000 vehicles by the end of 2026, while scaling the charging infrastructure needed to power them.
“With 56 per cent of Australia’s truck fleet now more than a decade old, operators are increasingly making decisions about replacement technologies as vehicles reach the end of their operating life,” the company said.
“Zenobē’s $100 million investment will fund not just the electric trucks themselves, but the full ecosystem supporting them; charging infrastructure, battery replacements, and deployment, designed to match or beat the total cost of ownership (TCO) of diesel fleets.”
The funding would also cover upfront planning “at no cost to operators”. This includes depot assessments, fleet and energy modelling, and tailored proposals to de-risk the transition.
Through end-to-end fleet solutions, Zenobē is effectively looking to make the transition TCO-neutral for fleet operators, which it sees as one of the biggest barriers for adoption.
Zenobē said while momentum was building for Australia’s heavy-electric-truck industry, the market was still in its early stages.
“Approximately 500 electric trucks were on track to be sold in 2024 more than the total sold over the previous decade combined, highlighting both the progress made and the scale of the opportunity ahead,” the company said.
Zenobē country director – Australia and New Zealand Gareth Ridge said Australia’s electric truck industry was ripe for growth and development.
“The direction we set in the next five years will define the trajectory for the next two decades,” he said. “Our goal is simple: to make the transition total cost of ownership neutral so the sustainable choice is also the commercial one.”
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