Janus Electric Holdings Ltd (ASX:JNS) earlier this week outlined growing commercial momentum in the United States after securing further orders in California for its heavy-vehicle electrification system, valued at approximately A$1.6 million.
Managing director and CEO Ben Hutt said the order, placed via authorised dealer Electric Vehicle Choice (EVC), comprises two conversion systems, three pairs of batteries and a Janus Charge and Change Station. The development strengthens the company’s commercial footprint in California, a strategically important market given regulatory support for zero-emission heavy transport.
Interview highlights
- Janus Electric replaces diesel engines and gearboxes with electric drivetrains and swappable batteries
- 25 converted trucks operating across cement, mining and logging sectors
- Electric range of approximately 400km per charge
- Swappable battery system enables ~3-minute battery change
- About 80% of Australian freight travels less than 300km
- Further California orders worth ~A$1.6 million via Electric Vehicle Choice
- Order includes two systems, battery pairs and a charge and change station
- California port operators targeting zero-emission fleets within three years
- US market represents 4 million heavy trucks
- Company focused on revenue growth and export capability from Australia
Heavy truck electrification targets California
Proactive: Welcome back to Proactive Investors. I’m your host Kerry Stevenson. Today I’m joined by Ben Hutt, Managing Director and CEO of Janus Electric. It’s your first time with Proactive, so let’s start with an overview. Who is Janus Electric?
Ben Hutt: Janus Electric is a technology company that builds, assembles and develops hardware and software that allows the engine and gearbox of a large diesel truck to be switched out for electric, with swappable batteries installed on the side of the truck in place of the diesel tanks. That creates a fully electric truck that can operate for the rest of its life with zero emissions running on green power.
Over the last three years, we’ve had 25 of these trucks operating in applications such as cement, mining and logging in South Australia. That has allowed us to refine the hardware and software to the point where the electric motor, gearbox and associated components are now delivered as a kit. We have just begun shipping those kits to fleet maintenance operators in different parts of the world.
Proactive: You describe it as replacing the “heart” of the truck. How complex is that?
Ben Hutt: It’s not that complicated. Engines in these trucks are typically replaced every five years. We work with a network of dealers that already change engines and gearboxes for fleet operators. We’ve designed the kit so the diesel engine and gearbox come out, the electric motor and drivetrain go in, and the diesel tanks are replaced with batteries.
Proactive: What about battery life and range?
Ben Hutt: The range is roughly 400km per charge. We’ve developed swappable battery technology, so trucks stop and batteries are changed in about three minutes. We deploy charge and change stations that can hold multiple batteries. Roughly 80% of freight in Australia is sub-300km, so range is no longer a key issue.
Proactive: The latest news relates to US expansion, particularly California. Why is that important?
Ben Hutt: The US is a much larger market than Australia, with around 4 million heavy trucks operating in North America. California is particularly interesting due to port activity, including the Port of Long Beach, which has declared that trucks servicing the port must be zero emissions within three years. The Californian government is subsidising decarbonisation, which supports adoption.
We’ve received further California orders via Electric Vehicle Choice, our authorised dealer in the state. The order includes two systems, three pairs of batteries and a charge and change station, with a total value of about A$1.6 million. We anticipate exporting kits from Australia, with the US expected to be a strong driver of growth this year.
Proactive: Looking ahead to 2026, where will shareholder value come from?
Ben Hutt: There are significant global opportunities as governments seek to decarbonise heavy transport, including in North America, Canada, New Zealand, Asia and Africa. We will focus on revenue growth and building demand, leveraging our Australian manufacturing and export capability rather than committing to large capital expenditure projects overseas.