Considering this was New Zealand Trucking’s first experience with an EV truck in full operation, the boys thought they’d share their thoughts and impressions.

It’s a funny thing, being the youngest member of the editorial team – and of the millennial generation to boot – you’d assume I’d have latched onto the idea of alternative propulsion and be the biggest flag-waver of them all. The problem is, I was raised on internal combustion and firmly believe there’s something magical in conducting engine, transmission and direction to get from point A to point B.

For the enthusiasts, whether we’re talking bikes, cars or trucks, that’ll always be the case. The boffins will always find a way of feeding that need for interaction and enjoyment, and there will always be yesterday’s machines to continue to cherish.

But, the rest of the time, in mundane, everyday life, I also firmly believe there has to be a better way. I’ve always said that driving an electric vehicle – any electric vehicle – changes the way you drive. Because they’re smoother, quieter and calmer, so are you. I’ve never fought my way through traffic in an EV and been aggravated about it.

The noise – or lack thereof – is a big thing for me. Remember lockdown? How peaceful it was? We don’t realise what a noisy world we live in until the noise is gone. Standing in the yard at Reliance, the difference between the diesel-powered trucks and Mac in the Scania rolling by was stark. And considering modern-day trucks with all their emissions restrictions don’t sound like anything special anyway, I know which I’d prefer in my urban environment of the future.

No, EVs aren’t the silver bullet, but they are an important link in the chain. And there is a definite role they can play right now, with tangible benefits for company and driver. But we can’t leave it for the next generation to make that move. – Gavin

When Peter Jackson released Fellowship of the Ring in 2001, I remember chatting with someone about it. They asked if I’d read Tolkien’s great work, and I confirmed I hadn’t subjected myself to that excruciation. My answer subsequently guided their half of the conversation. Apparently, there are two types of people in the world, those who have read Lord of the Rings and those who haven’t, and any ‘cross species’ conversations must be kept simple.

We’re at the same place with BEVs, trucks in particular. I encourage anyone who hasn’t got behind the tiller of one to do so at their earliest convenience, just so they’re speaking with some experience, such is the difference in the way these machines deliver their numbers to the operator and owner. Trying to make some meaningful correlation between ICE and BEV output metrics without having driven both is impossible.

My list of BE truck drives is certainly growing, with eCanter Series 1, Mercedes- Benz Actros 6×2, MAN eTruck 4×2 and semi, Volvo FLE, and now Scania 25P. Each of them demonstrated the same EV traits of whisper silence and incredibly smooth relentless delivery of power. There’s no question you can sense the base unladen weight of the trucks when you drive them, they’re never fidgety.

I’m yet to meet a truck driver who doesn’t respond well to more power, retardation, and comfort. BEVs and FCEVs will likely reset the bar on all the existing performance and comfort metrics.

Yes, I am a child of internal combustion, manual gearboxes and differentials, and that is where I’ll always find my greatest driving joy. But ask the question, ‘Would I drive a high-output BEV or FCEV in the future to meet workday pressures and requirements, 13 hours every day?’ Absolutely, I would.

IC engines, clutch pedals, gear levers and differentials; as great a servant as each has been to us, change is afoot. Yes, we’re alive at the dawn of that change, and we’ll long be embroiled in the debate about whether our ‘horses’ should indeed go to the glue factory so soon.

But, rest assured, our grandchildren’s groceries won’t come courtesy of an X, DD or C15 unless we get the next half-century horribly wrong. In which case, they’ll likely come via a horse and cart. – Dave

Converging on the Reliance Transport yard at Ash Road, Wiri, I must admit a feeling of fervent anticipation. Finally, after all the hype – positive and negative (excuse the pun) – here was the opportunity to experience a true BEV at the coalface earning a genuine crust.

Mac, at the wheel as he goes through his pre-flight checks, turns to me and says, “Ya ready?” He releases the park brake, and with a deft application of pressure on the good rheostat, 28 tonnes of heavy vehicle and payload literally glide off down the driveway.

The ease with which this happened was profound. It left me with a wry smile of disbelief and amazement at this demonstration of Newton’s laws of motion.

The sense of wonderment increased exponentially as we turned out onto Ash Road and accelerated towards Wiri Station Road. You cannot help but be immensely impressed at the peaceful ease with which the 310hp electric Scania went about its task. Smooth, silent but eager would be the best way to describe its attitude.

I walked away from the experience amazed at just how effortless this rig was to operate, especially given the nature of its operational environs – cruising the back streets of industrial Auckland on box collecting and delivery duties.

Bottom line? I now cannot
wait for the day we get the call-up to test an 800hp electric heavy-haul combo dragging a dolly, four rows of eight with a Cat D11 body sitting on its back. Bring it on, I say. – Carl

Special thanks

It was a thrill for New Zealand Trucking to have the exclusive on Scania’s first EVs in a working environment. Thank you to Mark and Grant Darrah for having us around and so eagerly showing us where Reliance Transport is headed.

Thanks to Mac Moradi for demonstrating what the 25P can do with nothing but a smile and real enthusiasm – a great guy and an ambassador for the company.

Thanks, too, to the Scania New Zealand family, ever ready and willing, and Alfons Reistma, especially, for all your knowledge-sharing and insight into Scania, the regulatory environment and BEVs in general.