Funding focus for low emission commercial fleets welcomed

The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) welcomes the launch of the second round of the Australian Government’s Future Fuels Fund to support the uptake of low and zero emissions vehicles in commercial fleets.

ALC CEO, Brad Williams, said the increased focus on commercial fleets was a positive development and would help the transition to low and zero emission vehicles.

“A specific and targeted investment focus on the light and heavy commercial vehicle fleets will provide added impetus at an early, and important, stage of the transition and help fast track enterprise-level initiatives,” Mr Williams said.

“Given the nature of Australia’s heavy vehicle fleet, the future availability of second hand low or zero emission vehicles in the marketplace will mean more affordable access for non-fleet businesses, over time,” he said.

“There are already a number of positive developments across the transport sector and momentum is building but the transition is influenced by a range of factors including government incentives, policy settings, access to the right technology, customer expectations and investor sentiment.”

Investment in zero emission vehicle technologies is complimenting existing emission reduction efforts in the freight and logistics sector including the voluntary adoption of the latest heavy-duty vehicle technology, such as Euro 6 trucks. Other initiatives include enhanced driver training, digital technology to help route management and fuel consumption and use of renewable energy in warehouses and distribution centres.

“The world is moving and the transport sector has an important role to play in helping Australia meet its emission reduction targets,” Mr Williams said.

ENDS