Australia Post already operates over 5000 electric vehicles nationally. Image: Australia Post
Australia Post is expanding its fleet of electric trucks and vans with a $40.5 investment from the Albanese government.
The rollout will include a broad range of more than 100 vehicles, from vans to light and heavy rigid trucks, as well as prime movers, Australia Post announced at an official launch event at its Sunshine West depot in Victoria this week.
It also includes depot charging infrastructure and upgrades to existing facilities, including switchboard enhancements, new distribution boards and load management controls, in what Australia Post describes as a significant step in its electrification of the heavier vehicle fleet beyond last-mile delivery.
Funding will be delivered in the 2026–27 financial year, with work now underway to bring the additional electric vehicles into operation as quickly as possible. Australia Post already operates over 5000 electric vehicles nationally, covering more than 29 million kilometres each year.
Australia Post said the new funding will accelerate existing plans to decarbonise operations, with the additional vehicles expected to save around one million litres of diesel annually, freeing up fuel for sectors that cannot as easily transition to electric alternatives.
Australia Post Executive General Manager Network Operations Shane Plant said the investment builds on years of work to lead fleet electrification in Australia.
“Australia Post has been at the forefront of electric vehicle adoption for over a decade, and this investment allows us to go further faster,” Plant said.
“We’ve seen promising results from our early electric truck trials and existing electric van fleet, and this next phase allows us to scale that across heavier vehicle types.”
Work will now begin to source additional electric vehicles available for the Australian market, alongside electrification upgrades at relevant sites ahead of the expanded fleet entering service.
Australia Post unveiled the first heavy-duty electric truck to join its national fleet in October last year, a Mercedes-Benz eActros.
Australia Post General Manager Network Assets and Implementation, Mitch Buxton, said the eActros was an important step in understanding how large electric vehicles can integrate into the organisation’s operations.
Electrification of its fleet is a core part of Australia Post’s sustainability strategy, with the organisation targeting net zero emissions by 2050.