Isuzu’s electric future

Current company research has revealed that a huge 91 per cent of Isuzu’s customers are actively considering zero-emissions technology for the future of their transport operations.  

Not only that, over 40 per cent are thinking about a greener alternative purchase within two years, while about 10 per cent are actively seeking carbon-neutrality or better, right now. 

Just as the future of truck design is evolving towards improved safety and efficiency via technology, the environmental footprint of road transport for freight is increasingly under scrutiny, too. 

The company has adopted an aggressive target: to halve 2013’s CO2 emissions levels by the year 2030. 

To do so, Isuzu is investigating battery electric and fuel cell technologies alongside existing internal combustion engines (ICE), using the same basic vehicle architecture in a new modular platform design. This system is called I-MACS – Isuzu Modular Architecture and Component Standard. 

The intention is to permit the replacement or upgrading of major components as newer, more efficient components become available over the life of the vehicle. 

Isuzu revealed a battery-powered electric truck at last year’s Brisbane Truck Show and, at present, two electric trucks are undergoing evaluation in Australia and have been in use for most of 2024. They are an NLR 4.5 tonner which uses five battery packs, and an NPR 7.5 tonner which uses seven. 

Each of the LG-made 20kWh batteries weighs about 125kg and uses nickel, manganese and cobalt chemistry. A water-cooled thermal control system keeps the battery packs within optimum operating temperatures during use. 

Tractive energy is delivered by a centrally mounted 370Nm motor; the N-series EV also has a 12-step customisable regenerative braking system which harvests the energy normally lost as heat during braking and returns it to the batteries. At its most extreme, the braking effect is close to a full ABS-invoking emergency stop. 

There is an obvious trade-off between load capacity and battery mass, which directly affects range: having more batteries gives greater range but restricts load capability. 

Isuzu reports that many fleet operators are keen to give the vehicles a trial – in fact, there’s a queue. 

Final configuration for the Australian market hasn’t yet been decided, but it’s probable that Australian operators will be offered three- or five-battery options initially. A variety of charging options will likely be offered too: AC single phase, AC three-phase and DC rapid charging, with CCS2 DC fast-chargers also possible if customer demand support it. 

The company expects that the ideal operating environment for EV trucks lies in the so-called ‘Last-Mile’ final delivery stage or local government applications, especially in urban areas where exhaust gas is most damaging and where distances are typically between 150 and 200km per work cycle. 

To maximise range, the power controller limits acceleration: there is no Tesla-like ‘Ludicrous Mode’ in the EV trucks.