Royal visit puts electric trucks in the spotlight

Volvo Group Australia President and CEO, Martin Merrick, took part in the discussion, covering topics from infrastructure, government policy, consumer behaviour and business incentives.

Also taking part in the panel discussion were Johan Forssell, the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade; Mr Matthew Ryan, Assistant Secretary Transport Branch, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; and Dr Marnie Shaw, Research Leader, ANU Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program.

The wide-ranging discussion, facilitated by ANU Professor Mark Howden, Director of the Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions, tackled not only the issues raised by decarbonising transport networks but also the issues driving transformation in both Australia and Sweden.

The ANU event was opened by Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, as part of a royal tour of Australia and New Zealand. The Crown Princess took the opportunity to address climate change and the drive towards a more sustainable future.

“Loss of biodiversity is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity, affecting food, fresh water and clean air,” Princess Victoria said.

“Climate change affects the planet itself and us who live there here and now. This is the time and place to mitigate the situation.”

“I’m very happy to see representatives from both Government and industry here today; this is the nexus between science, policy and industry.”

“We talk sustainability and transformation within our business constantly,” said Martin Merrick. “It’s like a mantra for us, however, it’s inspiring to hear the enthusiasm we have for those ideals echoed by others in a forum such as this, be it from business, academia or government.

“We are determined to play our part in meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement and contribute towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” Merrick continued.

“Promoting the uptake of zero emissions vehicles in Australia is a key part of meeting those goals,” he said.

“It really is a privilege to be able to take part in a discussion that shows just how aligned Australian and Swedish businesses are on sustainability and the future of our planet.”

During the event, Merrick confirmed that Volvo Group Australia is on track to commence building electric trucks at its Wacol, Qld plant by 2027.

Volvo Group Australia recently inked a landmark agreement with the ACT Emergency Services Agency for the supply of electric trucks and more recently a record order for electric trucks from Australian express freight company, Team Global Express.

The first deliveries of Volvo electric trucks are expected to begin in the coming weeks, signalling that a change is coming to how we transport goods and deliver critical services for our people and communities.