On the heels of the 480-kilometre journey, New Energy Transport has also revealed it has secured a site in Sydney's southwest where it plans to develop a hub for up to 50 electric prime-movers.
The announcement comes shortly after the Australian Renewable Energy Agency named electric trucks as a focus for its Driving the National Program, and following low-emission truck investments by companies including Australia Post, FedEx, Linfox and ANC Delivers.
New Energy Transport was founded in June, after co-chief executive Daniel Bleakley and former trucking innovation executive Frederik Pehrsson consulted with companies about reducing transport emissions.
Electric trucks represented an opportunity to reduce transport emissions and costs, Mr Bleakley said, but many businesses found the initial investments daunting.
"We spoke to a few trucking companies about this opportunity and there was quite a bit of reluctance so we just decided if no one else was going to do this then we were going to set up our own trucking company," he told AAP.
"There's a higher up-front cost and there's more complexity around setting up charging infrastructure and getting access to enough power – that's probably the main constraint."
The start-up teamed with poultry supplier Multiquip and truck manufacturer Winrose for its electric freight road test between Picton, south of Sydney, and Beresfield in the Hunter region.
The electric truck completed the 480km round trip on a single charge, transporting 36 tonnes of freight and doing so 40 minutes quicker than expected due to more consistent uphill speeds.
Technological improvements in heavy-duty electric trucks meant they could travel up to 600km between stops, Mr Bleakley said, and megawatt-capable chargers would be able to refuel them within an hour.
The company will begin construction on a high-powered charging hub for the trucks in mid-2026, with a goal to operate 20 electric prime movers by mid-2027.
The company would also establish a pilot program using five or six electric trucks in 2026 that would be charged at a nearby facility, Mr Bleakley said.
"We see the electrification of heavy road freight as a huge opportunity to accelerate decarbonisation in Australia," he said.
"Instead of electrifying passenger vehicles which are only used half an hour to an hour a day and are transporting low loads, you're tapping into a really high impact segment."
The transport sector represents 22 per cent of Australia's carbon emissions, according to the federal department of energy, and is projected to become the leading source of pollution by 2030.
Low-emission trucks were named as a focus in ARENA's Driving the Nation Program report, released on October 15, along with vehicle-to-grid technology.
