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A 2.5-year trial of an electric truck in the forestry industry has concluded, with the truck now parked. The trial found while the vehicle was able to do the job, it wasn’t cost effective compared to diesel-powered trucks, even with high fuel prices. The company and experts are calling for government to do more to incentivise the electrification of heavy vehicles. An electric truck trial in South Australia’s south-east has shown the vehicles are fit for some use in the forestry industry, but are not financially viable — even with diesel prices soaring. Fennell Forestry launched a trial using a truck converted from using diesel to electric power in early 2023, using the vehicle to transport logs from forests to sawmills. Managing director Wendy Fennell said the vehicle was able to perform the job with enough torque and capacity to tow the large loads. However, she said there we some issues, particularly with the cost proposition.