An all-time high 16 truck OEMs representing some 23 brands showcases their vehicles at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show
The 2023 Brisbane Truck Show drew a record crowd and the largest-ever display of truck makes and models in the event’s storied 55-year history.
Buoyed by record demand for new trucks over the past 18 months, an all-time high 16 OEMs representing some 23 brands showcased their vehicles at this year’s show.
All the big established brands exhibited a slew of new products, some publicly for the first time, including Kenworth’s ‘Next Level’ K220 and DAF’s preview of the super-impressive 660hp DAF XG+, MAN’s new TG range, Western Star’s slick-looking X-Series models, Fuso’s high-powered Shogun 510, and Iveco’s all-new S-Way and T-Way trucks.
What’s more, the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show featured the biggest showcase of zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV) ever assembled under the one roof in Australia.
These ranged from battery (BEV) and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (HFCEV) to conventional trucks powered by hydrated vegetable oils (HVO) – and somewhere in between, hybrid diesel-electric vehicles.
The extensive line-up included multiple models from established truck brands – headlined by the first public showing of Mercedes-Benz’s new eActros and eEconic BEVs, the new-generation of Fuso’s pioneering eCanter, Isuzu’s just-released global ZEV platform, Hyundai’s Mighty BEV, and Volvo’s FE, FL and FM BEV range.
Even the king of the big bangers, Kenworth, provided a taste of the future with its HFCEV T680 equipped with a 630hp electric motor; while stablemate DAF showcased the 19-tonne LF Electric featuring a 260kW electric motor powered by a 282kWh battery pack.
Adding to this rapidly expanding offering from established brands was a slew of ZEV vehicles on show from a raft of relatively new brands such as SEA Electric, Hyzon Motors, HDrive, Janus Electric and Foton.
HVIA Chief Executive Todd Hacking believes this year’s show will no doubt be remembered as a landmark in the industry’s sustainability journey.
“Since 1990, heavy vehicle noxious emissions standards have reduced CO and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions by over 80 per cent.
“That is despite the fact there are almost 60 per cent more heavy vehicles on the road, and the total distance travelled by those vehicles has increased by over 80 per cent over the same period,” he says.
“This year the industry is again showing its leadership – well ahead of regulation and standards; on every truck manufacturer’s stand you will see a sustainability solution, whether that be alternative fuels and/or the unveiling of battery or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.”
