Australia’s transition to electric heavy vehicles is gaining momentum, but the charging infrastructure remains the critical bottleneck.

While passenger EV charging stations have expanded rapidly—reaching 1,272 fast-charging sites nationwide by mid-2025—heavy vehicle charging infrastructure is only just beginning to take shape.

The Scale of the Challenge

Heavy vehicle EV charging infrastructure requires high-powered equipment capable of delivering up to 1.5MW capacity for electric trucks and buses, far exceeding the 50-400kW typically needed for passenger vehicles.

The infrastructure demands are substantial: dedicated pull-through charging bays for commercial vehicles require extensive coordination between governments, chargepoint operators, landholders, and network operators to identify suitable locations with adequate power supply capacity.

The urgency is clear when examining emissions data. Although heavy trucks make up only 4% of all vehicles in Australia, they contribute a massive 38% of transport emissions. Without intervention, emissions from freight trucks are expected to rise to 22 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030.

Major Infrastructure Projects Taking Shape

Australia’s first major heavy vehicle charging hubs are now becoming reality. In October 2025, a site was secured for Australia’s biggest heavy electric truck depot, while Zenobē officially opened Australia’s first off-site electric truck charging depot in Mascot, New South Wales.

The Zenobē facility includes 30 dual chargers with capacity for 60 battery-electric trucks and will serve Woolworths’ delivery fleet.

Melbourne’s west will soon host another critical facility. Supported by a $12.3 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), the project will be led by Mondo Power, delivering infrastructure designed specifically for heavy battery electric vehicles.

Government Investment Accelerates

The Australian government is backing the transition with substantial funding. In December 2025, ARENA announced support for three new EV charging and grid-integration projects worth AUD 21 million, including ultrafast corridors and the country’s first national Vehicle-Grid Network.

State governments are also stepping up. The NSW Government opened its latest round of EV fleet incentives, making $5 million available and, for the first time, expanding eligibility to include heavy vehicles of up to 23 tonnes gross vehicle mass.

The incentives range from $10,000 to $50,000 for heavy commercial vehicles between 3.5 to 23 tonnes, with funding covering up to 50% of charging infrastructure costs, capped at $60,000 per charger.

To date, ARENA has allocated AUD 266 million through its Driving the Nation programme for road-transport projects, with transport accounting for around 20% of national emissions.

The Bus Market Leads the Charge

Public transport is emerging as an early success story in heavy vehicle electrification. South Australia recently welcomed the first of 60 brand-new electric buses, with the entire fleet expected to be operating by mid-2026. Each bus can seat 43 passengers and travel approximately 350 kilometres on a single charge.

The environmental impact is significant. The new 60-bus fleet will remove more than 4,500 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere each year, equivalent to powering around 1,500 homes.

Looking ahead, the Australian Government allocated AUD 150 million in funding to support state-level electric bus procurement and charging infrastructure development, while transport authorities in Victoria and New South Wales announced plans to deploy an additional 100 electric buses across metropolitan routes.

Market Economics Improving

The economics of electric trucks are becoming increasingly favorable. While electric trucks have a higher initial cost than diesel-powered vehicles, the total cost of ownership (TCO) for electric trucks is expected to reach parity with internal combustion engine (ICE) trucks in the near term.

Real-world performance is proving competitive. New Energy Transport completed Australia’s longest single-charge electric truck delivery—a 480-kilometre round trip transporting 36 tonnes—and the electric truck completed the journey 40 minutes faster than normal diesel trucks, a 12% time saving.

The Chicken-and-Egg Problem

Despite progress, Australia faces a classic infrastructure dilemma. Without reliable charging infrastructure, it’s difficult to get more electric trucks on the road; similarly, without enough electric trucks, it’s hard to justify investments in charging stations.

The industry is responding with specialised technology. In May 2024, Ampcontrol unveiled the Ampcontrol MegaWatt Charger designed to bolster the mining industry’s shift towards electrification, featuring dual-mode charging capability allowing diverse vehicle types to be charged from a single unit.

Most recently, ABB installed its first two A400 ultra-fast EV chargers in Australia at Ampol’s Eastern Creek service station on Sydney’s M4 Motorway.

The 400kW chargers represent the fastest publicly available EV charging technology now operational in Australia, with four of the 10 charging bays featuring drive-through access for larger vehicles and those towing trailers.

Market Outlook

The heavy vehicle charging market is poised for rapid expansion.

While comprehensive market size data specific to heavy vehicle charging remains limited, the broader Australian EV charging equipment market tells a growth story: the market size is expected to reach 3.25 thousand units in 2025 and grow at a CAGR of 17.76% to reach 7.36 thousand units by 2030.

The infrastructure challenges are being systematically addressed. A coalition of transit agencies and energy partners launched a major high-power charging corridor project connecting key depots in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, enabling intercity electric bus operations and network scalability.

As government support continues, private sector investment accelerates, and technology improves, Australia’s heavy vehicle charging infrastructure is transitioning from a critical gap to an emerging opportunity.

The next 3-5 years will determine whether the country can build the charging backbone necessary to support the electrification of its freight and public transport sectors—a transition essential for meeting climate targets and reducing the 38% of transport emissions currently generated by heavy vehicles.