Driverless trucks could make electric long-haul rigs cheaper than diesel
A study finds that removing driver costs makes autonomous electric trucks financially competitive with diesel years earlier than expert forecasts predicted.
Australia's heavy trucks still run on diesel because batteries are heavy, expensive and need long recharge times. Most experts say electric long-haul trucks won't beat diesel costs until the 2030s.
Autonomous trucks change the maths. Human drivers must obey rest rules and are paid by the hour.
To keep costs low, freight companies encourage them to drive at the speed limit to finish quickly. Speed burns fuel.
An autonomous truck has no driver wage to pay. It pays to go slower, use less energy, and charge cheaper at the depot instead of fast chargers on the highway.
A study modelling Sydney to Melbourne found this advantage is worth around A$34/kWh in battery cost savings. Australia already runs driverless ore trucks in the Pilbara.
Transport ministers approved conditional public road trials from 2027. Three interstate corridors suit this technology best: Sydney-Melbourne, Brisbane-Sydney and Adelaide-Melbourne.
- A$34/kWh
- Battery cost advantage
- Pilbara
- Current driverless fleet location
- 2027
- Public trials begin
Why it mattersIf this timing holds, Australia could shift long-haul freight to electric a decade earlier, cutting transport emissions and fuel imports while creating new freight industry jobs.
AustraliaAustralia's busiest freight routes could go electric faster than planned, lowering logistics costs for Australian businesses and reducing heavy transport emissions.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
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