Inspiring innovation

Friday March 10, 2023

IT’S pretty amazing when a Mount Gambier business makes national headlines and that’s what happened last week with the launch of Fennell Forestry’s electric logging truck.

It might look like any other truck on the road, but instead of a diesel engine under the hood of this truck is a 720-horsepower electric motor.

I’m told it’s one of a kind in Australia and only the second in the world.

I love to see innovation in a traditional sector and this is an initiative which has the potential to transform the industry.

Mount Gambier is home to some incredible people with big ideas that have potential to challenge traditional mindsets.

Congratulations to Wendy Fennell and the Fennell Forestry team for an Australian first and for being trailblazers for our region.

At the launch last week, Wendy spoke with conviction about having to take the lead in a project which had tremendous potential, however also involved major financial outlay and risk for the company.

Electric vehicle technology is traditionally more suited to short distances, so the company had to think about how to adapt the technology to suit their needs.

So, over the next two years of the trial, Wendy and the team will put the truck through some rigorous testing and real-world experience.

Every big business is currently looking at ways they can lessen their environmental impact, reduce emissions and implement renewable technology into their day-to-day activities.

Sometimes, that involves taking a risk and a leap into the unknown to test out an idea.

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