New Energy Transport (NET) has taken delivery of its first Volvo heavy electric prime mover and announced Unilever as its foundation customer, marking the start of commercial electric heavy vehicle freight operations for the company in Sydney.
According to NET, the Volvo truck entered commercial service immediately following its handover, transporting consumer goods on weekday deliveries from Unilever’s distribution centre in Ingleburn to customer sites across Sydney. The vehicle is the first of 11 Volvo electric trucks NET plans to deploy over the next 12 months as part of its fleet expansion.
The company said the truck is the first to operate under a Volvo Financial Services arrangement with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), which is designed to reduce the cost of leasing heavy electric trucks in Australia.
The announcement follows NET’s recently unveiled Rapid Deployment Plan, supported by an initial $5 million equity raise backed by Jekara Group and facilitated by Pollination. The plan aims to deploy 20 electric trucks and six mobile charging units on Australian roads before the end of 2026.
NET Co-CEO Fredrik Pehrsson described the delivery as a significant milestone for the company.
“New Energy Transport is proud to be partnering with Unilever and Volvo to make electric heavy road freight a reality in Australia. This is a major milestone as we take the keys to our first truck and bring our first customer onto the road,” Pehrsson said.
He said Volvo’s electric truck technology and service network would support vehicle reliability, while Unilever’s participation demonstrated leadership in adopting electric freight.
“Electric road freight means lower costs, greater reliability and a real cut in emissions, and it’s brands like Unilever that will drive the shift at scale, decarbonising their supply chains while delivering greater efficiency,” he said.
Unilever Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Brooke Sprott said the partnership represented a step towards reducing emissions across the company’s supply chain.
“Decarbonising heavy freight transport is one of the most complex challenges in our supply chain, and it’s not something any company can solve alone. That’s why we are proud to be a foundation partner of New Energy Transport and utilise their first heavy electric prime mover in Australia,” Sprott said.
Volvo Group Executive Vice President and Volvo Trucks President Roger Alm said the project demonstrated how collaboration could support the transition to lower-emission transport.
“This partnership with New Energy Transport shows how the transition to lower-emission transport is moving forward through collaboration. Volvo Trucks brings proven electric truck technology, Volvo Financial Services helps lower barriers to entry, and our dealer network supports customers wherever they operate,” Alm said.
Volvo Group Australia President Martin Merrick said the partnership brought together a customer, freight operator and truck supplier to support the adoption of electric heavy vehicles.
NET said it is continuing to develop its broader electric freight network, centred on a planned heavy electric trucking depot at Wilton in New South Wales, which was recently selected under the Federal Government’s Investor Front Door program as a project of national significance. The depot is expected to begin operating in late 2027 with an initial capacity for 50 trucks, expanding to 200 over time.
NET Co-CEO Daniel Bleakley said the company would continue expanding its electric fleet and charging infrastructure in response to customer demand.
“Over the coming months we’ll take delivery of the rest of the Volvo fleet, install a network of rapid charging stations across NSW, and continue to advance planning for our Wilton depot, which will be Australia’s largest heavy electric trucking facility once completed in 2027,” Bleakley said.
