Tag Archives: Toyota Hilux

CarBon and Roev join forces to bring fully electric 4×4 Toyota HiLux to Australia

CarBon, an electric vehicle leasing, rental and subscription company, has joined forces with electric vehicle conversion company Roev to launch what they say is the first fully electric 4×4 Toyota HiLux in the Australian market.

Escalating demand from the resources and construction sectors will see production of over 1,000 electric HiLux utility vehicles in the first 12 months, with CarBon securing more than half of these to supply commercial fleet operators eager to transition to zero emissions transport, it says. The ROEV Electric 4×4 HiLux will be a big part of that.

CarBon founder and CEO, Scott Gillespie, said many of the company’s electric 4×4 Hiluxes would take part in a major pilot program in Western Australia’s northwest, where several resources companies will implement the vehicles into their operations.

“Organisations across the board are facing increasing pressure to transition their light commercial fleets to meet ESG targets, but until now there hasn’t been a 4×4 electric ute available; the arrival of the Roev Electric 4×4 HiLux has changed that,” he said.

“Another key concern is testing and safety – and this is where Roev is leading the market in the electric conversion space.

“Roev’s best-practice systems, testing and processes ensure each conversion kit is safe, tailored and seamlessly integrates with the Hilux’s existing structural integrity and standard safety systems.”

Roev CEO & Co-founder, Noah Wasmer, said the demand for commercial EVs far outweighs current supply and Australian fleets are looking for a range of solutions to electrify their vehicles.

“There is huge demand for light commercial EVs in Australia, particularly in the fleet market where businesses are racing to decarbonise,” he said.

“Electric conversions provide an additional option to accelerate this transition and we’ve been working very closely with fleets to ensure the vehicles out-perform expectations.”

Gillespie said commercial EVs provided a significant opportunity to reduce Australia’s emissions.

“In 2022, the transport sector made up 19% of emissions, but, without intervention, it’s projected to be Australia’s largest source of emissions by 2030.

“The HiLux is Australia’s best-selling ute and every converted Roev 4×4 Electric HiLux has the potential to reduce C02 emissions by over 100 t through its usable lifespan.”

The first EV-only rental, leasing and subscription company of its kind in Australia, CarBon partners with organisations to manage EV transition, including implementation, charging infrastructure, utilisation and change management, it says.

The ROEV 4×4 All Electric HiLux will be available from February 2024 to purchase, lease or subscribe through CarBon.

Mineral Resources, MEVCO agree on battery-electric Toyota HiLux utility vehicle deliveries

Mineral Resources says it will be the first miner in Western Australia to take delivery of Australia-engineered battery-electric Toyota HiLux utility vehicles for its mine site operations.

The investment, it says, is a demonstration of MinRes’ commitment to decarbonise its mining operations in Western Australia, which includes two of the world’s largest hard-rock lithium mines.

MinRes placed the order with mining industry vehicle supplier and global systems integrator MEVCO, which recently announced a partnership with SEA Electric to electrify Toyota HiLux and LandCruiser utes.

From its factory in Melbourne, SEA Electric is converting the vehicles from diesel-powered engines to all-electric using its SEA-Drive power-system.

The HiLux utility vehicles purchased by MinRes will be fitted with an 88 kWh battery that provides a range of up to 380 km and can be charged up to 80% in less than one hour, according to the company. The mine site-ready electric vehicles also produce no noise, fumes, heat or vibrations.

A demonstration model arrived in Perth, Western Australia, this week and MinRes is expected to take delivery of the first batch of electric vehicles in April.

MinRes, which is committed to net zero emissions by 2050, will use the electric utility vehicles at its various mine operations across Western Australia, including at the Koolyanobbing iron ore mine in the Yilgarn.

The addition of the electric utility vehicles comes two years after MinRes took delivery of the first all-electric light truck to roll off the SEA Electric production line.

MinRes is cutting emissions at its mining operations through a variety of technologies, including plans to transition road trains at its Onslow Iron project from diesel to electric.

At the Wonmunna iron ore project in the Pilbara, a 2.1 MW solar array and battery system is also being installed that will provide 30% of the site’s energy requirements.

MinRes Chief Executive Officer, Mining Services, Mike Grey, said: “MinRes has a plan to transition to a low-carbon future and cutting our reliance on diesel is central to achieving this goal. Our MEVCO electric utes are just one of the many ways we’re driving towards net zero and an exciting step in our decarbonisation journey.

MEVCO Chief Executive Officer, Matt Cahir, added: “While many companies talk about decarbonisation, MinRes is actually doing it. Partnering with one of the leading innovators in the mining industry is testimony to the MEVCO HiLux ute.

“MinRes is a company that is at the forefront of innovation and understands how that culture attracts and keeps the best mining talent in the industry. We are excited to be part of MinRes’ decarbonisation journey.”

Tembo 4×4 e-LV expands battery-electric retrofit range

Tembo 4×4 e-LV has added a new option to its line-up of battery-powered equipment for the underground mining industry, with an extra-large 10 personnel carrier joining the portfolio, according to one of its distributors.

The new conversion kit is specifically targeted for applications where a maximum number of people are required to be transported at once.

The more spacious supervision vehicle option, which comprises forward-facing six personnel carrier, will also be available as a battery-electric conversion kit.

Last year, Tembo signed an agreement with the GHH Group to include the electric off-road light duty vehicles within its product offering and its worldwide sales and service program. As part of the agreement, GHH offers the vehicles in Germany, Turkey, Greece, Russia, India, the USA, Mexico, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, the CIS states and Latin America.

The conversion kits are for both mechanical and electrical service vehicles, which are based on the enhanced, flatbed platform designed to take any special equipment like a crane or workshop machinery or service equipment for servicing mining machinery, GHH says.

The first Tembo Electric Cruiser came on the market in 2016. The company’s approach to turning the Toyota Land Cruiser and Hilux series into fully-fledged electric multi-purpose vehicles, especially for construction and mining industries, has been well received, with Boliden’s Tara mine, in Ireland, the first to trial one of its ‘green’ machine.

The Tembos correspond largely to the series standard of Toyota, but are equipped with an electric motor with 65 kW of power and 250 Nm of torque, a special 1:3 transmission and a powerful battery designed for at least 10 years or 8,000 charging cycles. They can achieve 80 km run time with a 28 kWh battery pack and 200 km with a 72 kWh battery pack.
In two-and-a-half hours the vehicles are charged from 20% to 80% with the single-phase charger. Using a three-phase charger, this charge time decreases to only one hour.

No external infrastructure is required for operation as a 15 kW charger is also on board with the single phase and a 22 kW with the three phase. Battery recuperation is in place and a charging cable wallbox can also be supplied with the vehicle, if required.

The vehicles reach a top speed of 80 km/h and can climb gradients of up to 45°, GHH says.