Iveco began preparations for the introduction of alternative-fuelled vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2021. It was signalled by the announcement of a new Customisation and Innovation Centre (CIC) to assist with pre-launch development work, while also appointing long-time Iveco Executive, Marco Quaranta, to lead the project as Strategic Projects and Industry Relations Manager.
At the event, Iveco Australia and New Zealand’s Managing Director, Michael May and Mr Quaranta, detailed the company’s plans to introduce a broad range of zero emission vehicles that include light and heavy-duty models with both battery and fuel-cell options.
The first of these models will be a new generation of the Daily Electric van, which will be released in Europe later this year. Iveco hopes to begin local testing of the first Australian electric models in early 2023, using the CIC for localisation, validation and customer testing.
It’s expected a broad selection of models across various weight classes will gradually join Iveco’s Euro6 internal combustion product line-up, over a three-year period.
Mr Quaranta said preparation for the company’s zero-emission product roll-out are progressing well.
“There is considerable preparation involved in introducing such new technologies to market,” Mr Quaranta said.
“We’re working through a detailed pre-launch process to ensure a smooth roll-out of these vehicles – we want to make sure the zero-emission range exceeds customer expectations in terms of day-to-day operational performance, but more broadly, across all facets of vehicle servicing, maintenance and support.”
As zero-emission roll-out preparations progress, Iveco has formed partnerships with several local organisations and bodies, tertiary institutions and government departments, to assist.