ARENA backs NewVolt electric truck charging network with $25.3m
The funding will support the NewVolt Network, a shared fast-charging infrastructure project for electric trucks in Victoria. Construction has commenced on three purpose-built charging hubs located across Melbourne’s major freight precincts in the west, south-east and northern suburbs.The Melbourne rollout represents Stage 1 of a broader national network, with future expansion planned for Sydney, Brisbane and the Hume Highway corridor.The open-access sites are designed for heavy and medium-duty battery-electric trucks and will provide high-power charging for both foundation fleet customers and third-party operators. The first hub is scheduled to open in late 2026, with the remaining two sites to follow through 2027.ARENA’s investment includes approximately $10 million earmarked to bridge the total cost of ownership gap for early adopters, supporting between 50 and 100 electric trucks operating across greater Melbourne. The funding is intended to enable fleets to transition from diesel to electric drivetrains under commercially viable conditions.ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the project addresses key barriers to electrifying heavy freight. “Heavy freight is one of the toughest forms of transport to electrify. It relies on high-powered, reliable charging and today the upfront cost of new trucks and infrastructure is a real barrier,” he said. “By backing shared charging infrastructure projects like NewVolt, ARENA is lowering the barrier to entry for a broader spectrum of operators and building the foundations of a national electric freight network.”According to NewVolt, the charging hubs will be powered by Australian renewable energy and offer scheduled, price-certain charging tailored to freight operations. The company positions the network as foundational infrastructure for large-scale deployment of electric trucks.“Since we founded NewVolt in 2019, our mission has been to fast-track the Australian freight industry’s transition to electric trucks,” said NewVolt CEO and Co-Founder Anthony Headlam. “ARENA’s investment helps bring forward that transition. The NewVolt Network represents foundational infrastructure for heavy vehicle electrification.”The project is funded under ARENA’s Driving the Nation programme, which aims to accelerate the uptake of low-emission transport technologies and support the decarbonisation of Australia’s freight sector.arena.gov.au, linkedin.com, newvolt.com.au
