r/EdisonMotors

Since I've been seeing countless posts about the BDE and what's going on with it and Snowrunner, here is my first official teaser image! The job of getting the BDE into Snowrunner was granted to me by no one other than u/ChaceEdison himself! The mod will consist of at least 2 chassis variants, a day cab and a sleeper cab, as well as several custom addons and accessories (including blacked out accessories like on Big D)!

This model was specifically made for my usage in Snowrunner with a highly-optimized poly-count for lower RAM usage amongst console players! The mod will also be fully licensed as my Edison Topsy mod was!

Stay tuned for more info!

Is anyone else getting messages sent to them by a guy that says he’s the owner of Royal?

I still can’t believe grown people are acting like this

(Note: The attached image is AI generated for fun, just to see what the BDE would look like hauling an Australian quad road train out in the red dirt.)

Given that the United States is currently taking a fairly hostile stance toward foreign imported vehicles and cross-border trade, Canadian specialty manufacturers face real hurdles expanding south. With the BDE designed from the ground up as a heavy vocational work truck, looking across the Pacific to Australia makes a lot of practical sense.

Australia is essentially the world capital of extreme road transport, with brutal ambient heat exceeding 45 degrees Celsius, bulldust, corrugated gravel, and gross combination masses reaching 130 to 175 tonnes or more. If a vocational truck can survive outback road train duty, it can survive anything on earth.

As an OEM, Edison would qualify for a Non-RAV Entry Import Approval under the Test and Evaluation category. This approval allows overseas manufacturers to temporarily import non-compliant prototypes specifically to conduct engineering trials, hot-weather testing, or commercial evaluation.

The typical condition is that the vehicle must be exported or destroyed within a defined window, usually up to 12 months.

Once the ROVER approval is granted, Edison would clear Australian Border Force either through an ATA Carnet issued through the Canadian Chamber of Commerce or via Section 162/162A of the Australian Customs Act. This allows the truck to enter Australia temporarily without paying import duties or the 10 percent GST, backed by a refundable security bond or bank guarantee.

Australia has some of the strictest biosecurity screening in the world. Because the BDE is a heavy vocational truck that has spent time working in Canadian dirt and mud, it would have to undergo a forensic level steam clean prior to shipping. Any trace of soil, seeds, or organic matter found upon arrival at the port will result in mandatory quarantine cleaning, significant delays, and heavy fees.

The BDE prototype is left-hand drive. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) in the eastern states, or Main Roads Western Australia (MRWA) in the west, would need to grant an LHD operating permit. It would require prominent "LEFT HAND DRIVE" warning signage on the rear of the truck and the rear trailer.

Because it cannot be conventionally registered, the truck would operate under a state-issued Unregistered Vehicle Permit (UVP), trade plate, or an In-Service Trial Permit.

You cannot just back a prime mover up to four trailers and take off down the highway. To haul a quad road train (such as an A-quad, BAB quad, or Type 2 road train), the vehicle must meet rigorous Gross Combination Mass (GCM) ratings, turntable ratings, heavy drawbar specs, and electronic braking compatibility.

Edison would need an engineering sign-off verifying that the chassis, fifth wheel, cooling system, and tri-drive electric powertrain can safely handle the immense loads and maintain control on public road train routes.

But I feel that they'd be able to clear those hurdles pretty easily, from the looks of it, they've built a more solid truck than half the Kenworths and Macks that you see running up and down the highway.

Or, there's another way!

Mining operations in Western Australia and remote Queensland operate private haul networks that run completely off the public grid.

On private dirt, state registration and ADR compliance do not apply.

Edison would only need the temporary customs import approval, biosecurity clearance, and a commercial agreement with a mining operator or haulage contractor willing to put the BDE to work on private haulage routes.

What do you think? Would a test run in the Pilbara or western Queensland be the ultimate proof of concept for Edison's platform?