Nouveau Monde Graphite, which is attempting to develop the world’s first all-electric graphite mine at Matawinie in Quebec, Canada, says it has placed an order for five new Tesla Cybertrucks.

The announcement came in the same week Tesla’s Elon Musk unveiled the new all-electric vehicles at an event in the US.

In a post on LinkedIn, NMG said: “As we advance our mining development and business model targeting the lithium-ion batteries market, we felt these new Tesla Cybertrucks would be the perfect addition to our fleet.”

Likely to be used at Matawinie as a personnel carrier/utility vehicle, the Cybertruck is built with an exterior shell made for “ultimate durability and passenger protection”, according to Tesla. It has a “nearly impenetrable” exoskeleton, with Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless-steel structural skin, in addition to Tesla armour glass. It also has an estimated plus-250 mile range, the company said.

It also has up to 3,500 Ib (1.6 t) of payload capacity and adjustable air suspension, 2.8 cu.m of exterior, lockable storage; a towing capability of over 14,000 Ib (6.4 t); adaptable suspension and self-levelling capabilities, Tesla says.

The truck can seat six “comfortably”, comes equipped with a 17 in touchscreen and all-new customised user interface, in addition to both on-board power and compressed air, according to the company.

Matawinie, meanwhile, is expected to start up in 2022. A 2018 feasibility study revealed strong economics for the project, with projected high-quality graphite concentrate production level of 100,000 t/y over a 26-year period.