Australian company VE Motion has unveiled its first commercially available battery-powered trailer system for heavy trucks, offering fleets a low-cost path to electrification that can cut drivers' fuel use by up to 50%. This innovative solution is designed to reduce wear and tear on diesel drivelines while ensuring stronger starts, smoother climbs, and shorter cycle times. The VE Motion powered trailer concept is best described as a modular and self-contained e-axle solution that adds a 295 kW (~395 hp) electric motor to new or existing trailers.
The system works similarly to a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), using an electric motor to boost propulsion when it's most effective and recovering energy with regenerative braking. This hybrid approach is particularly valuable in heavy trucking, where moving heavy loads at low speeds or in stop-and-go traffic forces diesel trucks into low-gear, high-RPM operation.
Electric motors, on the other hand, deliver peak torque (and therefore peak efficiency) from 0 RPM, making them ideally suited for the low-speed hauling and grade change scenarios where diesel struggles most. Additionally, the mass of a loaded truck-and-trailer combination makes regenerative braking far more impactful than it would be in something like a Prius.
The VE Motion trailer can effectively disengage for diesel-only operation, maintaining full operational flexibility. This means that fleets don't need to worry about what kind of truck shows up to haul the load, as the system can work behind both ICE- and battery-powered semi trucks.
The flexibility of the VE Motion system is a significant advantage, allowing fleets to deploy EV Motion axles across their trailer pool without worrying about specific powertrain strategies. This can be particularly beneficial when negotiating freight rates or meeting customer ESG targets.
A base trailer kit ships with a 200 kWh battery pack and starts from under $200,000 AUD - roughly a quarter of the price of the sort of battery-electric trucks currently sold in Australia. The scalable pack is mounted on custom brackets between the trailer's chassis rails, and can be deployed in 200, 400, or 600 kWh capacities.
Charging happens through a standard CCS connector with DC charging speeds up to 180 kW available. An onboard 25 kW AC charger is also fitted, enabling up to 22 kW from a standard 3-phase outlet while also providing V2L and V2G capability. According to VE Motion estimates, their system would reduce a diesel truck's fuel consumption by up to 50%, offsetting 80 to 300 tons of carbon emissions per vehicle per year.
The potential savings on annual diesel fuel bills are substantial, ranging from $50,000 to $200,000. This significant reduction in fuel costs can have a substantial impact on fleet operations and bottom-line profitability.
With the VE Motion system, fleets can enjoy the benefits of electrification without making a huge commitment in terms of trucks, trailers, or infrastructure. The flexibility and scalability of this solution make it an attractive option for fleets looking to reduce their environmental footprint while minimizing costs.
