“Australia's public car-charging network already gives heavy trucks dependable access”

A car charger count is not a truck access count

The public-charging headline for Australia counts car-oriented locations and connectors. It cannot answer the questions a freight operator needs: can a long combination vehicle enter, fit in a bay, connect to an appropriate DC charger, and use the site at the required hour? ARENA's 2026 NewVolt project description explicitly identifies the absence of a reliable, publicly accessible fast-charging network designed for heavy vehicles along Australia's major freight corridors as a barrier to wider truck adoption. That is strong evidence against treating the passenger network as truck-ready. ^[1]

Truck charging has so far been organised around depots, customer sites and early shared hubs. For example, ARENA's Zenobē project provides a Sydney off-site facility for a defined 60-truck Woolworths fleet, initially supporting its customer and planning later wider access. It is a charging location, but that does not make it a national open-access stop for any freight carrier. ^[6]

Shared public hubs are moving from proposals into local networks

ARENA's NewVolt program is the clearest current example of a planned open-access heavy-vehicle network. Its first stage is three shared-use hubs in Melbourne's western, northern and south-eastern freight precincts, open to fleet operators when operating. The initial Laverton North site is described as having 12 high-power bays, 24-hour operations and truck-suitable bay lengths; the later two hubs would extend city coverage. The project record was updated in April 2026, so it describes a rollout, not a national route map or proof that every planned hub is already live. ^[1]

A separate ARENA-supported Mondo project specifies 14 dual-plug 350 kW chargers at Laverton North and 20-metre bays designed for trucks, with charging-service agreements setting price and terms. Those physical design details matter: a passenger charger can be electrically compatible yet still be unusable to a truck because of bay layout, cable reach, maneuvering space or site access rules. The ARENA/AECOM freight report estimates that about 165 hubs could be needed to support an electrified road-freight network. That is a modelled future requirement, not 165 chargers already operating. ^[2][3]

For live truck planning, Scania Australia describes Scania Charging Access as a service to find, access and pay for charging on a truck-focused network. It is more relevant than a generic car map, but it is an operator service rather than a complete independent inventory of every public truck site. Operators should confirm station coverage and vehicle compatibility in the service before relying on a route. ^[5]

Truck charging time is tied to the battery and the working stop

A passenger-car time estimate cannot be applied to a heavy truck with a much larger battery. Volvo's Australian FH Electric specification lists 360–540 kWh of installed battery capacity, DC charging up to 350 kW, roughly 60 minutes from 20% to 80%, and 99 minutes for a full 0–100% charge. Those are manufacturer figures for that truck and suitable equipment, not observations of every Australian public session. ^[4]

Operational evidence exists for a different job: Patrick Terminals' ARENA-funded report describes nine 350 kWh terminal trucks in 24/7 port work, using two dual-gun 400 A (~260 kW) chargers. It reports less than 54 minutes from 20% to 80%, initial consumption around 15 kWh per operating hour, and rotational charging. The same report says spare-parts and troubleshooting processes needed active vendor management during the early operating period. These are operator-reported results from a closed port operation, not an independent long-haul trial or a public corridor average. ^[7]

The value of a truck hub is that the stop can be planned around loading, driver rest and route operations, not just peak power. A 350 kW charger rating is the site's upper capability; the vehicle's acceptance rate and the session's state of charge determine actual power. Battery size, payload, route and duty cycle also change how much energy a truck needs to take on. That is why an advertised peak or a car's short-stop time cannot be used as the truck's expected end-to-end delay. ^[1][2][4]

As of October 2026, Australia's evidence supports a gradual shift from depot-only trials toward a few purpose-built shared sites, especially around Melbourne. It does not support a claim that long-haul trucks can yet follow a continuous nationwide public fast-charging corridor. Truck-specific access tools and construction updates are essential until more sites are operational and publish live bay status.