The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will provide up to $25.3 million to support the rollout of three open-access fast-charging hubs for electric trucks in Melbourne, as part of efforts to cut emissions from heavy freight and strengthen Australia’s energy security.
The funding will underpin the development of the NewVolt Network, a shared fast-charging infrastructure initiative targeting heavy and medium-duty battery-electric trucks across Victoria. Construction has already begun on three purpose-built sites located in Melbourne’s key freight corridors in the west, south-east and northern suburbs. The first hub is expected to open in late 2026, with the remaining sites to be delivered through 2027.
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The Melbourne rollout represents the first stage of a broader national expansion, with additional sites planned in Sydney, Brisbane and along the Hume Highway corridor.
ARENA Chief Executive Darren Miller said projects like this are critical to reducing emissions in one of the country’s hardest-to-abate sectors.
“Heavy freight is one of the toughest forms of transport to electrify. It relies on high-powered, reliable charging and today the upfront cost of new trucks and infrastructure is a real barrier,” Mr Miller said.
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“By backing shared charging infrastructure projects like NewVolt, ARENA is lowering the barrier to entry for a broader spectrum of operators and building the foundations of a national electric freight network.”
Mr Miller added that the initiative could also enhance national energy resilience by reducing reliance on imported fuels.
“Australia’s freight supply chain is reliant on imported diesel. Decarbonising our heavy freight is not only good for emissions, but it also means the freight sector will be protected from international oil price volatility. Projects like this can help build a more resilient transport system by powering trucks with Australian electricity instead,” he said.
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ARENA said around $10 million of the funding will be used to bridge the total cost of ownership gap for early adopters, supporting the deployment of between 50 and 100 electric trucks across greater Melbourne under commercially viable conditions.
According to NewVolt, the charging hubs will be powered by Australian renewable energy and designed to offer scheduled, price-certain charging tailored to freight operations.
“Since we founded NewVolt in 2019, our mission has been to fast-track the Australian freight industry’s transition to electric trucks. ARENA’s investment helps bring forward that transition,” said Anthony Headlam, chief executive and co-founder of the company.
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“The NewVolt Network represents foundational infrastructure for heavy vehicle electrification. The network is purpose-built for trucks – offering price-certain, scheduled fast charging for fleets large and small, powered by renewable energy. The trucks are now available in the market and the business case for fleets to electrify keeps getting better. Our network helps fleets deploy those trucks confidently,” he added.
The project is funded under ARENA’s Driving the Nation programme, which aims to accelerate the uptake of low-emission transport technologies and support the decarbonisation of Australia’s freight sector.
