A BATTERY-SWAPPING facility for electric trucks has been built at the Moorebank Intermodal Precinct.

The solar-powered Janus Electric Charge and Change station enables heavy vehicles to exchange two-by-1.2-metre batteries for fully charged batteries in four minutes – less time than it takes them to refuel.

According to the NSW government, the facility is the first of its kind to be built at an intermodal terminal where freight is swapped between roads and rail.

Moorebank Intermodal Precinct in southwestern Sydney is home to the Qube Logistics-operated IMEX Terminal and Interstate Terminal, which opened earlier this year. A dedicated freight rail offers direct connections to Port Botany.

The Janus Electric-produced trucks that call the precinct are expected to experience shorter wait times before heading off with charged batteries. A truck with a single trailer can generally travel between 300 and 400 kilometres on one of these batteries.  

The NSW government said the investment in the new facility follows its introduction of the Towards Net Zero Emissions Freight Policy, released in 2023, which outlines government and industry actions that aim to reduce the carbon footprint of heavy vehicles and rail freight.

A step in delivering the policy, extra-mass provisions for access to state roads, means electric trucks can be used across the state without sacrificing cargo quantities. Zero-emission heavy vehicles weigh more because of their batteries.

NSW transport minister Jo Haylen said a projected 34% rise in freight demand across the state from 2021 to 2061 means more capacity is needed.

“Many freight operators are natural innovators and are already investing in low emission technologies,” she said.

“The NSW government’s Zero Emissions Freight Policy means that the government is supporting industry and helping them invest in new and exciting technologies across the state and at key freight centres like Moorebank.”

And Simon Carter, head of ESG for precinct developer ESR Australia & NZ, said the launch of the station is a “transformative step” for Australia’s heavy vehicle transport sector.

“By facilitating battery swapping technology for electric trucks, we’re serving net zero ambitions and setting a new standard in sustainable freight transport,” he said.

The NSW government expects more electric trucks to roll out onto Sydney streets within weeks.