A key Isuzu executive said public charging infrastructure is a key roadblock that's preventing the brand from launching its EV models.
Electric Cars
More than a year after trialling its electric vehicles on Australian roads, Isuzu Trucks has delayed launching its battery-powered options amid charging infrastructure concerns.
According to the Japanese truck brand, an electric variant will eventually be available on the Isuzu Truck N Series range that includes the NLR – which can be driven on a car licence – and the NPR, with Isuzu claiming a maximum range of up to 150km and 200km, respectively.
However, Andrew Harbison, Isuzu Australia Limited’s Director and Chief Operating Officer, said the EV models' launch timeline “hasn’t been finalised” despite the brand previously aiming for a release sometime in 2024 and 2025.
“We’ve been trialling it here now in Australia for over 12 months in its current guise. I’d love to say we will see it in the next 12 months, but that’s probably ambitious, but certainly in the next handful of years,” Harbison told Drive.
When asked what roadblocks the brand is facing when it comes to introducing an EV truck in the domestic market, Harbison said the lack of publicly available charging infrastructure was a key factor.
“At this stage, the charging infrastructure remains a real challenge. The government is talking about how much they’ve invested in charging infrastructure [across Australia].
“The problem is you can’t plug trucks in most of them, so there are a lot of issues around those sorts of things that need to be overcome. It’s one of those things where the infrastructure and technology will continue to grow, and as I say, we think it’ll be a year or two before [we consider them],” he explained.
Drive understands Isuzu Trucks is looking to introduce an EV option as a form of last-mile solution as opposed to long-distance models.
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Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
