New law opens the door for Tesla Semi electric truck in Australia

One hurdle preventing the electric Tesla Semi prime mover from being sold locally has now been removed, but will it need to overcome more rules before it’s offered in Australia?

A new law allowing wider trucks onto Australian roads could open the door for the electric Tesla Semi prime mover to be sold here eventually.

Earlier this month, the Australian Government announced it was increasing the maximum width of trucks to 2.55 metres – an increase of 50mm – provided they are fitted with advanced safety systems including blind-spot reduction technology, electronic stability control, advanced emergency braking, and lane departure warning.

While it’s understood Volvo was instrumental in pushing through the changes, publicly lobbying the government – and ensuring production of its FH electric prime mover could begin at its Queensland factory – Tesla also made submissions to the National Transport Commission about the rules around truck widths.

“The clearest immediate barrier from Tesla’s perspective is Australia’s 2500mm width limit in ADR 43/04,” Tesla Australia’s Public Policy Manager Sam McLean wrote in December 2020.

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“The Commission will be aware that given Australia’s small size in comparison to global markets, inconsistencies like this between Australian regulations and larger markets will delay or preclude vehicles coming to local markets.

“Currently, Australia will likely miss out on the first generation of electric heavy vehicles such as the Tesla Semi because of this.”

However, while the hurdle for the Tesla Semi’s width has now been removed, it’s not clear whether the truck’s centrally-mounted driver’s seat would comply with Australian Design Rules – the regulations that dictate vehicle design and compliance.

But not all road safety experts agree that allowing wider trucks is the best decision.

MORE: Australian authorities increase truck widths

“It’s smart to get electric vehicles on the roads, but the road system has to be upgraded accordingly – sooner or later, Australia needs to go to a standardised road width,” road safety expert and director of advanced driver-training company Driving Solutions, James Stewart, told Drive in June 2023.

“The biggest issue is the size of the road. When you’re talking motorways, you can get away with it (the proposed regulation changes) fairly easily, but when you start looking at most of the rural roads in Australia, they’re not built for that size,” he said at the time.

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