Team Global Express Electric Truck Charging Infrastructure

Electric vehicles will play a crucial role in decarbonising the transport sector and supporting Australia’s quest for a lower-emissions future and healthier, more liveable, and more sustainable cities.  

Team Global Express is rolling out a logistics fleet of 60 new electric trucks, Australia’s largest trial of electric logistics vehicles. In the 5-year trial, these cleaner, quieter electric trucks will deliver parcels in and around Sydney. This project received funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of the Driving the Nation Fund. 

To house and service the state-of-the-art electric trucks, the business has upgraded its Bungarribee depot with new charging infrastructure and a 1 MWh battery storage system, drawing on renewable electricity and reducing the business’s reliance on the electricity grid. Within the first hour of using the battery storage system, the business was able to save $7,300 on electricity. 

Team Global Express says that the trucks will be able to be recharged at the depot in merely 2 hours and will also use regenerative braking to capture energy and reduce their need for charging.  

Cost smarts help to de-risk complex, pioneering projects 

WT was able to leverage the skillsets and knowledge of our dedicated mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) team to understand and provide accurate advice on the project’s complex electrical systems and evolving technologies. We added value by engaging our in-house qualified electricians to oversee the cost assessment and reporting. This ensured that costs claimed during construction were confirmed to be reasonable. 

In such a rapidly evolving market, a key challenge was obtaining up-to-date market data for comparison purposes. We overcame this by breaking down the project into its individual components and assessing each based on their technical merits. We drew on our extensive network of supplier contacts to test and confirm costing for key equipment, as well as to understand and assess the technical risks and associated costs carried into the contractors’ pricing. 

Due to our in-depth technical knowledge, we were able to successfully negotiate progress claim amounts based on the work completed on site. Our ability to identify delays and program slippage mitigated project risks. 

In any state-of-the-art project, keeping a tight rein on costs and schedules is an important part of achieving sustainable outcomes. The project is now complete, and we’re excited to see the trial progress and to continue applying our skills to build a better future.