December 3, 2025
The Practicalities of Decarbonising the Trucking Industry – With Volvo
<p>In this episode of Exploring Clean Energy, Andy sits down with <strong>Corbin Luther</strong>, E-Mobility Solutions Specialist at <strong>Volvo Group Australia</strong>, to unpack one of the most challenging and exciting frontiers of decarbonisation: heavy vehicles. From electrical infrastructure and driver behaviour to hydrogen fuel cells and renewable diesel, Corbin provides a grounded, behind-the-scenes look at how Volvo is approaching the transition at scale. This conversation moves beyond theory into real-world fleet operations, exploring what is working, what is not, and what the next decade will really look like for Australia’s trucking industry.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Show Notes & Timestamps<br></strong><br></p><p><strong>0:00 - Welcome to Exploring Clean Energy<br></strong>Andy sets the scene for today’s topic: the innovations reshaping freight, logistics, and heavy vehicles.</p><p><br><strong>1:05 - Introducing Today’s Guest: Corbin Luther (Volvo Group Australia)<br></strong>Corbin outlines Volvo’s structure globally and in Australia, including the role of Volvo Trucks and Mack Trucks in local manufacturing.</p><p><br><strong>3:45 - How Big is Volvo in the EV Trucking Space?<br></strong>Discussion of global volumes, Australian production, and the rapid rise to <strong>117 electric trucks now on the road</strong>, with more than 50 delivered this year.</p><p><strong>6:10 - What Makes E-Mobility Technically Challenging in Australia?</strong></p><p>Corbin breaks down:</p><ul><li>The constraints of aging electrical infrastructure</li><li>Long distances vs short-haul suitability</li><li>Market misconceptions about what electric trucks are designed for</li><li>Fitting technology to specific applications</li></ul><p><strong>11:40 - Driver Behaviour: The Make-or-Break Variable</strong></p><p>How telematics, regen braking, and driving style impact EV range, and why driver training is essential for fleets moving to electric.</p><p><br><strong>16:30 - From Resistance to Enthusiasm: Changing Attitudes to EV Trucks</strong></p><p>Real-world stories of sceptical drivers who change their minds within minutes of getting behind the wheel.</p><p><br><strong>19:30 - Charging Infrastructure: The Volvo Approach<br></strong>Volvo’s advisory role, partnerships with charging companies, and why they stay out of owning physical charging hubs.</p><p><br><strong>23:05 - Decarbonising Heavy Transport: Electric, Hydrogen and Renewable Diesel (HVO)</strong></p><p>A detailed breakdown of:</p><ul><li>Hydrogen fuel-cell trucks under development in Europe</li><li>How HVO works and why it is a promising transition fuel</li><li>European advancements and realistic timelines for change</li></ul><p><strong>30:50 - Fit for Purpose: Why There Is No One-Size-Fits-All Solution<br></strong>How Volvo assesses a customer’s fleet, routes, power costs and operational realities before recommending EV adoption.</p><p><br><strong>37:20 - The Economics: Total Cost of Ownership and the Sweet Spot</strong></p><p>Why electricity price, kilometres travelled, and utilisation all determine whether an EV truck makes financial sense.</p><p><br><strong>43:00 - Behaviour Change and Second-Mover Advantage<br></strong>How sustainability pressure from customers, supply chains, and even employees is influencing fleet decisions.</p><p><br><strong>48:00 - Government Policy: What’s Helping and What’s Not<br></strong>Corbin discusses axle weight restrictions, the pace of ADR changes, and the role of ARENA-funded projects.</p><p><br><strong>54:10 - Road Wear, Vehicle Design and the realigning misconceptions<br></strong>Findings from Volvo and Austroads showing how tyre footprint and suspension design can reduce pavement impact.</p><p><br><strong>58:40 - Operational Optimisation: The ‘Hidden’ Decarbonisation Tool</strong></p><p>Route planning, idle time, fleet telematics, and the small daily decisions that reduce fuel and emissions.</p><p><br><strong>1:04:30 - Battery Performance, Temperature Impacts and Real-World Range Modelling<br></strong>How Volvo forecasts range using topography, historic traffic data, temperature profiles and aerodynamics.</p><p><br><strong>1:10:10 - Looking Ahead: What the Next Decade Will Bring</strong></p><p>Predictions on:</p><ul><li>Uptake of electric trucks</li><li>Hydrogen’s likely role</li><li>Growth of HVO</li><li>How often EV trucks will be seen on Australian roads</li></ul><p><br><strong>1:15:00 - Final Thoughts from Corbin</strong></p><p>Why the transition is gaining momentum, and why fit-for-purpose solutions will be critical.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Guest Bio - </strong><strong>Corbin Luther</strong></p><p><strong>Corbin Luther</strong> is the <strong>E-Mobility Solutions Specialist at Volvo Group Australia</strong>, where he works directly with fleets, operators, and Volvo’s dealer network to support the transition to electric trucks. With a background in transport operations and fleet management, Corbin combines technical insight with deep knowledge of real-world trucking applications, ensuring customers put the right truck on the right job and adopt EVs in a way that is operationally sound, commercially sensible, and driver-friendly.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Website:</strong> <a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fvolvotrucks.com.au%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cnicole.p%40stellarrecruitment.com.au%7Cfaa045130b57455c861708de3233f04d%7Caed741ca67604eecb7a3ae508e94be98%7C0%7C0%7C639003395835726736%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Nb%2FB0dTIZLQ18ASvRIKQLwqezIasry487l13NyYn%2BaU%3D&reserved=0">volvotrucks.com.au</a><br><strong>Corbin on LinkedIn:</strong> <a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fcorbin-luther-2598651b7%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cnicole.p%40stellarrecruitment.com.au%7Cfaa045130b57455c861708de3233f04d%7Caed741ca67604eecb7a3ae508e94be98%7C0%7C0%7C639003395835745474%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=vi%2BeqWI7VgKHov0dncqPpVi8k9%2FwsoEA9SfVODxZy3w%3D&reserved=0">https://www.linkedin.com/in/corbin-luther-2598651b7/</a><br><strong>Volvo Group LinkedIn:</strong> <a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fvolvo-group%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cnicole.p%40stellarrecruitment.com.au%7Cfaa045130b57455c861708de3233f04d%7Caed741ca67604eecb7a3ae508e94be98%7C0%7C0%7C639003395835767028%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=lQPnYdWQ55I1EWBhEJrNpsp7r8Y14Z0UiaQXOvEOWLI%3D&reserved=0">https://www.linkedin.com/company/volvo-group/</a></p>
