The LinkedIn post back in December caused a tsunami of enquires and got the attention of Fleet Managers under pressure to reduce emissions but need a fit-for-purpose dual cab ute.
“I have 38 Electric Toyota Hilux trucks with full mine spec available for delivery in Australia. The Hilux has a 88kw battery delivering 400 klms range, onboard DC and AC charging (80% in 50 mins), full GVM and Road Registered.” Matt Cahir, CEO at MEVCO on LinkedIn December 2022
Could it really be true? An electric Hilux ready to hit the roads in Australia?
Well, maybe. The one I drove during early February at Sydney Olympic Park was registered though not quite 100% ready to be delivered to customers.
MEVCO are targeting mining fleets that have significant motivation, and capital, to invest in zero emission vehicles. The deal announced with SEA Electric to purchase 8,500 Hilux and Landcruiser electric utes over the next five years is a significant step forward in the decarbonisation of mining operations and the benefits could flow through to other fleet and retail buyers.
The vehicle I drove was being evaluated by the team at GB Auto who has been working on similar projects with Toyota and Tembo for several years. In 2021 they announced a deal to supply 2,000 electric Landrcuisers to BHP. The vehicles were never built but the experience gained by the team at GB Auto has put them in a perfect position to work with MEVCO to adapt the SEA Electric power unit to meet the demands of the mining industry.
It appears this project has the financial support to get off the ground with backing from RCF Jolimont which is important because they are in a race with several other companies to give Australian fleets and Tradies access to a zero emissions utility.
SEA Electric will build 50 4X4 variants in their Melbourne factory with help from GB Auto to ‘ruggedise’ them to handle the demanding conditions found in above and underground mine sites. The 2023 production plan is for 1,000 vehicles with discussions being held about the location of an assembly line.
In September 2022, interest in an electric Hilux was sparked when Bill Gillespie, President Asia Pacific at SEA Electric, was quoted saying they have the technology and the components to create one.
“There is significant interest in an EV Hilux and we have the technology to create one of those,” said Gillespie. “Every component we would put in that we are already using and already have a supply base. It’s just a case of making a plan, securing enough chassis and ordering enough batteries, motors and cabling.”
The confidence comes from the work SEA Electric completed in Indonesia with Toyota on an electric concept vehicle using the Innova people mover. The Innova uses the same chassis as the Hilux so after testing five vehicles for 500,000 kilometres, it was easy to adapt the same battery and electric motor combination to a Hilux ute.
Drive impressions
It was only a short drive around so it was hard to replicate real world conditions. I started it with a key, not a button. It was quiet and smooth which are the traits of every EV. Being a light commercial there’s more focus on torque than acceleration so there’s no neck-snapping take off that you get with a passenger EV.
During the drive with Aaron Kent, EV Program Manager at GB Electric Vehicles, I was asking lots of questions which distracted me from the evaluation, though at the same time, it was like driving a diesel Hilux so there wasn’t much to see or feel.
The interior has been modified with a push button gear selector and SEA infotainment unit in the dash. Kent advised that the production model will get a traditional t-bar gear selector and a decision on the infotainment system will be made at a later date.
If we have finally reached the tipping point for electric utes, the knowledge and experience of SEA Electric and GB Auto will deliver a fantastic product to the mining industry with the financial support from RCF to get the production line running.
