Something new has arrived at our Palmerston North yard, and it doesn't sound like the trucks that have been coming and going out of that yard for the last 50 years.
That's because it doesn't have an engine, at least not one you'd recognise.
The Deepway Star is a fully electric 6x4 heavy-duty prime mover. It runs on a 600kWh CATL battery pack and has a real-world range of around 400km. We've liveried it up in the Auto Logistics colours, added a 50-year anniversary badge, and it's now operating as part of our vehicle transport fleet.
Why we did it
For our operation, the economics are starting to stack up. With support from the Low Emissions Heavy Vehicle Fund, the purchase cost is much closer to a diesel equivalent, while the potential running and servicing costs are lower.
For a route-based operation like Auto Logistics, where we're running predictable distances every day between the same points, the maths starts to work.
That said, we didn't buy this truck because the maths worked on paper. We bought it because we needed to actually put one in the fleet and learn how it performs in the real world. Range under load. Charging times at different points on the network. Driver feedback. Maintenance costs 12 months in. All of it. There's no substitute for operating one.
What this doesn't mean
It's not us going all-electric overnight. It's one truck in a fleet of many. The rest of our vehicles are diesel and will be for a while yet, because the technology and the charging infrastructure isn't there for every application we run.
It's also not a symbolic gesture. This truck is doing real work, right now, hauling actual vehicles across New Zealand. It has to earn its keep the same way every other truck in the fleet does. If it doesn't perform, we'll know, and we'll adjust.
What it is, honestly, is a first step. We think the direction of travel for heavy transport in this country is toward electrification, and the operators who start learning now will be in a much better position when the wider fleet transition arrives. We'd rather be a few years early than a few years late.
Fifty years in, still investing
There's something appropriate about doing this in our 50th year. PTS was founded in 1976, back when the trucks on our roads looked and sounded very different to the ones we run today. Fifty years from now, our trucks will look and sound different again. What we hope stays the same is the standard we operate to, and the willingness to invest in whatever it takes to keep meeting it.
We'll share more as we learn from this truck. Range in different conditions. Driver feedback. Charging patterns. Real numbers, not marketing ones.
For now, if you're a customer or partner who wants to see it in person, come and visit us in Palmerston North. It's quieter than you'd expect.
Ray Roberts
CEO