At the 2025 IPWEA Fleet Conference in Brisbane, Logan City Council shared insights from a trial of a light-duty electric truck, offering a practical view of how electric light commercial vehicles (LCVs) perform in a council setting.
The vehicle tested was a Foton T5 electric truck, used by a parks maintenance team for day-to-day operations. The role involved short, consistent trips between local parks, averaging around 70 kilometres per day. With this level of usage, charging was only needed every second night.
Driver feedback was positive—the electric truck was smooth, quiet, and easy to operate. From an operational standpoint, the vehicle met all expectations. It performed reliably and offered clear savings in fuel and basic maintenance when compared to diesel alternatives.
However, when the fleet team assessed the total cost of ownership, the business case didn’t stack up. The relatively low utilisation meant the upfront purchase cost couldn’t be offset by the fuel and maintenance savings alone. Logan City Council determined that a similar vehicle covering more kilometres per day would likely present a stronger financial case.
This trial highlights the need to match vehicle technology with usage patterns. Light-duty electric trucks can deliver excellent driver experience and lower running costs, but they require sufficient daily utilisation to justify the higher initial investment.
Logan’s experience reinforces the importance of real-world testing when planning EV transitions. While the technology is proving effective, not every application will deliver immediate financial returns. For councils and organisations with suitable duty cycles, however, light electric trucks may soon become a viable part of the fleet mix.
