| Authors | Pernestål |
| Country | Skogforsk (Projects) |
| Paper (PDF) | View paper |
| Category | Harvesting & Extraction › Remote sensing & mapping |
20 partners working together to accelerate the transition to electrified heavy transport
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The electrification of logging trucks encompasses the development and deployment of battery-electric, fuel-cell electric, and hybrid-electric heavy haulage vehicles designed for transporting round logs, wood chips, and processed timber products from forest coupes and mill sites across the road networks that form the backbone of the wood supply chain. Driven by decarbonisation commitments across the forestry sector, increasingly stringent emissions regulations in key markets, and the total cost-of-ownership advantages that electric drivetrains can offer in high-utilisation, predictable-route applications, major truck manufacturers — including Volvo, Scania, Daimler Truck, and Kenworth — have advanced battery-electric heavy truck platforms to market or near-market readiness. For forestry-specific applications, the electrification challenge is amplified by the high gross vehicle mass requirements (frequently 70–100 tonnes on forestry roads in Australia under road train configurations), the steep and variable terrain of plantation and native forest access roads, the absence of charging infrastructure at remote sites, and the weight penalty of large battery packs relative to a diesel drivetrain's energy density. Several European forestry and biomass haulage operators have conducted pilot programmes with electric trucks on fixed, short-haul routes between forest landings and nearby processing facilities, demonstrating operational viability under constrained conditions. In Australia, the federal government's Powering Australia and heavy vehicle decarbonisation initiatives, along with state-level forestry certification body requirements for emissions reduction roadmaps, are creating pressure and incentive for fleet electrification planning. Practical near-term pathways for Australian logging fleets include hybrid powertrains that enable regenerative braking on downhill loaded runs, and opportunity charging at mill gates, which can substantially reduce fuel consumption and emissions even before full electrification is viable across all route profiles.
A promising option that improves transport efficiency and reduces emissions, offering meaningful operational risk reduction, though its direct productivity gains remain indirect.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Company | Pernestål |
| Country | Skogforsk (Projects) |
| Type | Paper |
| Year | n.d. |
| FWPA RD&E | 4.3 |
| Remarks | 0.0 |
| Case Studies | 0 |