Australian logistics company Centurion has announced that its off-grid electric truck fleet is now fully operational, following the deployment of an additional 10 Mercedes-Benz eActros vehicles. The 30-strong fleet relies entirely on solar-powered charging hubs with integrated battery storage and renewable fuel backup, eliminating the need for grid electricity.
The fleet now comprises 25 eActros 300s and five eActros prime movers. These are supported by two dedicated charging hubs located at Centurion’s Perth Airport depot. Combined, the hubs feature 15 dual-port slow and fast chargers powered by 4.4 megawatts of rooftop solar and 10.3 megawatt-hours of battery storage. Both sites are also equipped with backup generators running on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), ensuring continued charging capability in the absence of sunlight or high demand.
“The project is now fully operational, and it marks a significant milestone in progressing our decarbonisation journey,” said Centurion CEO Justin Cardaci. “Completing this important infrastructure milestone and having the full electric truck fleet operational is a great outcome for Centurion. It shows that with the right partnerships and investment, sustainable freight solutions are achievable today.”
The ‘North’ charging hub began operating in February, while the ‘South’ site was activated this week. The southern facility alone features a 2.2MW solar array and 3.44MWh of battery storage, supporting a mix of 75kW and 150kW chargers.
The AU$36 million project is a collaboration between Centurion, Daimler Truck, Cape Dunstans, Switch Batteries, and bp Australia, with AU$15.8 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
“We’re thrilled to see 10 more Mercedes-Benz eActros trucks join Centurion’s off-grid solar fleet,” said Daniel Whitehead, President and CEO of Daimler Truck Australia Pacific. “Day 1 of Centurion’s 30-strong fully-electric eActros truck fleet marks an important milestone for sustainable logistics in Australia. This is a remarkable achievement and I would like to congratulate Justin Cardaci and his team at Centurion for making it a reality.”
