Australia’s first Hyundai BEV truck rolls out
BY COBEY BARTELS | 19th Mar 2024
THE first Hyundai Mighty Electric truck has hit the road, with workplace design and construction company Sheldon using it to make emission-free deliveries around Sydney.
Hyundai opened the order books for its light-duty electric truck range in October last year, available through a network of six appointed dealers, with the first delivered to Sheldon’s manufacturing facility on the New South Wales Central Coast.
The Mighty Electric produces 120kW of power and 320Nm of instant torque, fed by a 114.5kWh battery offering a range of up to 200km when fully loaded.
Fast-charging capability allows the truck to be charged from eight per cent to 100 per cent in around 71 minutes, but Hyundai says a quick 20-minute charge will add around 100km of range.
Hyundai has priced the Mighty Electric from $150,000 plus on-road costs, making it the most expensive vehicle from the Korean marque, but it says standard schedule servicing costs for the first five years or 100,000km will come in at less than $4300.
A Sheldon spokesperson told GoAuto the company is already making deliveries with its new battery electric truck, as it pursues a broader circular economy strategy which includes using sustainable materials and incorporating solar power at its manufacturing facility.
While other companies are waiting for the cost of electric vehicles to drop, Sheldon CEO Peter Law says the time to embrace zero-emission solutions is now.
“Why wait until the next generation of electric vehicles becomes more affordable or more widely available?” Mr Law asked.
“We wanted to get ahead and do something about our environmental impact now."
In preparation for the Mighty Electric's arrival, the company installed a charger at its manufacturing facility and has further plans to implement a solar and battery storage system, reducing its reliance on grid electricity.
“Transport is predicted to be Australia’s largest source of emissions by 2030 – if we don’t act to make changes now,” Mr Law said.
“An uptake in electric trucks will have a huge impact on reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions and getting closer to the net-zero target.”
Indigenous Elder and co-founder of sister company CoDesign + Sheldon, Professor Richard Swain, has been monumental in fast-tracking Sheldon’s environmental focus as it pursues zero-emission transport solutions.
“Richard’s influence has made us realise we can’t keep waiting – we’re choosing to invest in our people and the planet, for future generations,” said Mr Law.
CoDesign+ Sheldon uses its profits from office fitouts to aid land regeneration and promote Indigenous cultural practices that care for Country.
