Brisbane Truck Show uncovers huge clean transport shift, from utes to road trains

This year’s Brisbane Truck Show featured record numbers of electric, hydrogen and hybrid commercial vehicles on display, from utes to road trains and everything in between.

It was also the largest transport industry event in the Southern Hemisphere with more than 40,000 visitors during the four-day extravaganza, including a strong showing from overseas executives representing global manufacturers and brands. 

As well as some form of alternatively fuelled products from the majority of multi-brand manufacturers exhibiting at Brisbane – such as Daimler, Paccar, Penske and Volvo – the usual suspects of Hino, Isuzu and Iveco also showcased their visions of the future.

Home-grown electric truck converter turned full-scale manufacturer Sea Electric also had an impressively large and diverse exhibit, including the EV-converted Toyota HiLux.

Dotted around the massive Brisbane Truck Show hall were Chinese manufacturers Foton Mobility, JAC Auto and Sinotruck as well as Chinese-built products from Australian importers EV Automotive and HDrive, as well as the Mighty electric truck that South Korean brand Hyundai assembles in China.

These served to give the Australian commercial vehicle sector a glimpse of just how large China’s lead in transport electrification is – and the scale of its export ambitions.