SAFER | GREENER | ESSENTIAL

LOW and ZERO EMISSION
TRUCK SALES

SAFER | GREENER | ESSENTIAL

LOW and ZERO EMISSION
TRUCK SALES

GREENING AUSTRALIA'S TRUCK FLEET

Road Freight is the most significant mode of transportation for goods in Australia, accounting for approximately 75% of the total domestic freight moved by total volume1. This proportion has remained largely unchanged since the late 1970’s, due principally to the fact that Australia’s sparsely populated geography and limited non-road freight infrastructure has meant that this is the most economic mode for movement of freight around the country. 

The Australian Transport Sector accounts for 18% of Australia’s annual Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Of this, the operation of Australia’s national Heavy-Duty vehicle fleet equates to about 4% of Australia’s total annual GHG emissions1. The Transport Sector has experienced the highest GHG emissions growth of all industry sectors since 1990 and is expected to become the largest source of GHG emissions by 2030, with the national vehicle fleet, both Light-Duty (cars, SUVs, etc) and Heavy-Duty vehicles (trucks and heavy vans) accounting for around 72% of the forecast 111 Mt CO2-e of emissions to be generated by the Sector in 20301. This understanding of the GHG emissions challenge facing Australia suggests that there is a pressing need to develop strategies to mitigate GHG growth in the Australian Transport Sector. The Truck Industry Council recognises that it has a significant role to play in contributing to a progressive reduction in CO2-e emissions generated by the national truck fleet. 

Unlike the Light-Duty (cars, SUVs, etc) transport fleet that has limited viable decarbonisation options, essentially limited to low, or zero carbon Motive Power Types, for example: plug-in hybrid, battery electric or hydrogen powertrains, the Heavy-Duty road freight sector has multiple pathways to lower CO2-e emissions. 

TIC has been the leading advocate for such incremental improvements across multiple pathways which must be deployed over the coming years. These include, but are not limited to:

  • New ADR80/04 (Euro VI) diesel trucks: The latest technology diesel truck engines offer a 3% to 7% fuel efficiency saving over older diesel trucks, resulting in a 3% to 7% CO2 emissions saving for every new ADR80/04 truck that displaces an older truck. 
  • Freight consolidation: For example, half of existing articulated freight movements on the Hume and Pacific Highways are semi-trailers. Moving freight from single trailers to B-Doubles reduces, on average, 29% in CO2 emissions.  
  • Low-carbon liquid fuels: A mandated R20 diesel fuel (a 20% renewable/conventional diesel blend) used across the entire truck fleet would result in an approximate 18% reduction in CO2 emissions.
  • Intermodal shift: Moving some container movements from seaport to distribution centres via rail and not truck, would reduce not only CO2 emissions, but ease traffic congestion and have improved road safety outcomes. The Moorebank intermodal terminal and rail link in Sydney, is an example of this activity.
  • Social change: Consumers ordering goods online and “ticking the box” for next day delivery drives up CO2 emissions. Accepting a longer delivery timeline allows for freight to be consolidated and moved more efficiently, reducing the carbon emissions of the delivery process.

The above actions, together with:

  • ‍Take up of new low and zero emission trucks: Will lead to a noticeable reduction in CO2 emissions from the Australian road freight sector.  

1Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Consultation Roadmap May 2024

‍

For a much deeper dive into the heavy vehicle road freight sector’s CO2-e emissions and methods to mitigate GHG emissions overtime, please refer to the Truck Industry Council’s National Truck Plan and specifically Chapter 4: A Greener Australian Truck Fleet. 

The following information and graphs specifically focus on the last dot point above by presenting current (live) and historical new Australian heavy vehicle sales by Motive Power Type.

Current Heavy Vehicle Motive Power Types

Diesel ICE: New Diesel Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) sales. New ADR80/04 (Euro VI) diesel trucks offer a 3% to 7% reduction in CO2 emissions.

Diesel/Electric Hybrids: New Diesel/Electric Hybrid sales. These Hybrid trucks are ideally suited to stop-start city/metro driving and hilly terrain where braking energy is recovered and converted into electrical energy that is then used to propel the truck in place of diesel only power. CO2 savings in the order of 15% to 20% can typically be achieved.

Battery Electric Vehicles: New Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) truck and van sales. Currently BEVs are ideally suited to city/metro/urban/intrastate, rigid and prime-mover applications. As recharging infrastructure evolves, interstate operations will     become more practical/viable. CO2 reductions are directly related to the CO2 intensity of the electricity used to charge a BEV truck or van. 100% CO2 savings are currently achievable.

Natural Gas/BioGas: New compressed, or liquid, Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) sales. Trucks and vans powered by Natural Gas are popular in Europe and the USA. Natural Gas powered heavy vehicles typically offer a 5% to 20% CO2 saving when compared to an equivalent Diesel powered vehicle, with a 10% CO2 savings being a fair expectation for many applications. A lack of refuelling infrastructure in Australia has previously hampered the uptake of these vehicles. A Natural Gas truck or van can be operated on BioGas, typically Bio-Methane, where CO2 reductions of over 90% are possible.

Sales of new trucks and vans above 3.5t GVM with these (above) Motive Power Types are shown in the following graphs.

Horizon (Emerging) Heavy Vehicle Motive Power Technologies

The following technologies are yet to be deployed in Australia in the truck and heavy van sector. These emerging CO2 reducing technologies currently sit on the horizon. As detailed below, typically due to a lack of suitable refuelling infrastructure or unknown economic/practical viability. As these technologies enter our market TIC will include them in the displayed graphs.

Plug-in Diesel/Electric Hybrids: An extension of the Diesel/Electric Hybrid truck or van. Generally fitted with a larger electrical battery that can be charged as per a BEV vehicle. The additional electrical energy is used to propel the truck or van, displacing diesel energy use. If the Plug-in Hybrid truck, or van, was to use power only from the battery, its CO2 emissions profile would be the same as a BEV. Increased use of the diesel engine will lead to increased CO2 emissions. As this technology is yet to be deployed in Australia, in heavy vehicles, it is difficult to quantify the potential CO2 savings. However, there are examples of Plug-in Hybrid light vehicles used for metro/city use that are obtaining 50% CO2 reductions when compared with equivalent ICE powered vehicles.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles: A BEV truck or van that obtains its electrical energy from reacting Hydrogen gas in a Fuel Cell (rather than charging from the grid, or similar). An efficient use of Hydrogen gas, however the technology remains expensive for use in transportation. A significant lack of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure and the lack of available “green” hydrogen in Australia are other current practical limitations for the wider use of Hydrogen Fuel Cell heavy vehicles as a practical means of abating CO2 emissions. With the use of “green” hydrogen 100% CO2 savings are achievable with this technology.

Hydrogen ICE: An Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) that runs on Hydrogen gas rather than Diesel orNatural Gas. Not as economically efficient as a Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle due to the thermodynamic efficiency of an ICE engine. As with a Fuel Cell       truck or van, a lack of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure and the lack of available “green” hydrogen in Australia are current practical limitations for the wider use of Hydrogen ICE heavy vehicles as an effective means of abating CO2 emissions. With the use of“green” hydrogen 100% CO2 savings are achievable with this technology.

THE TRUCK INDUSTRY COUNCIL DATA

The information displayed in the following graphs is derived from Truck Industry Council T-Mark sales data. Motive Power Type is not directly available from the T-Mark database, rather TIC uses various parameters, including VIN and Model decodes, Engine Type, etc, to estimate the Motive Power Types displayed in these graphs. TIC considers the confidence factor of the data displayed to be 98% or greater.

Live Data Graphs

The information displayed on these Gauge Graphs is the latest year-to-date, live data, for the current year and month for each Motive Power Type.
This data is updated monthly.

There are five Gauge Graphs representing:

  • Total Heavy Vehicle market –All trucks and vans above 3.5t GVM
  • Heavy Duty Truck (HD) segment –Trucks above 17t GVM
  • Medium Duty Truck (MD) segment– Trucks above 8t to 17t GVM
  • Light Duty Truck (LD) segment –Trucks 3.5t to 8t GVM
  • Light Duty Van (LDV) segment –Vans 3.5t to 8t GVM

Applicable total year-to-date Heavy Vehicle sales are also displayed on each of these Gauge Graphs.
‍
Truck and Van Brands offering vehicles are displayed on each of the Gauge Graphs, with the Motive Power Type/s offered by each Brand shown by a coloured circle matching the Motive Power Type icons.

Historical Graphs

‍The information displayed on these Line Graphs shows the actual alternate Motive Power Sales (note: Diesel ICE sales are NOT shown) for the past 10 years. These historical sales are represented by solid lines. The dashed lines represent the current year’s projected sales based on year-to-date sales for each Motive Power Type. The dashed lines are updated monthly.

There are five historical Line Graphs representing the same segments detailed above.

View The Data

Menu

HomeAbout UsToday's TrucksLow and Zero Emission Truck SalesService & Repair
Body Builder GuidenceDownloadsGalleryNews & ArticlesContact Us
PrivacyDisclaimerCopyright
© Copyright 2025 Truck Industry Council. All Rights Reserved.