Distributor of right-hand-drive converted Ford F-150 Lightning EVs, AUSEV, has turned its focus to fleet customers with its Lightning Pro model and commercial fitout options – with some sizable wins on the board so far.
The vehicles are imported, converted and sold as Australia’s first fully-homologated 4×4 EV ute, through the BossCap Group of companies (under which AUSEV sits), with a right-hand-drive remanufacturing operation out of Brendale in Brisbane’s northern suburbs.
BossCap Group Chief Commercial Officer, Alan Brady, says business interest began to spike after launching the model range, both in Australia and internationally, prompting the company to pursue fleet buyers.
“After taking our F-150 Lightning options to market a few months ago, we’ve had a strong fleet response in right-hand drive markets that want a 4×4 EV,” Mr Brady said.
“When we sat down with fleet operators and crunched the numbers, the Lightning offered serious ESG and operating cost benefits compared with traditional diesel 4×4 options – especially where a big payload capacity was needed.”
One such customer success story is Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC), who purchased multiple Lightning Pro models to be incorporated into its airside operations fleet after weighing up the benefits.
The deal, Mr Brady says, involved a comparison of the Lightning against existing diesel 4×4 utes BAC was using for its Airside operations.
“We sat down and looked closely at the numbers and emissions reduction benefits, and it’s quite amazing to see that the Lightning actually comes out ahead of diesel alternatives – for companies that are serious about decarbonisation,” Mr Brady said.
“In most use cases, we are confident fleets will reduce their running costs by over $50,000, which makes the total cost of ownership very attractive.”
The Lightning models form part of BAC’s wider decarbonisation strategy, with the ambitious aim of reducing its Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions to net zero by 2025. Brisbane Airport Corporation Fleet Manager, Greg Burke, says the Lightning ticks all of the right boxes as the company works to decarbonise its fleet.
“Airside Safety Vehicles play a critical 24/7 role in keeping our 22 million passengers safe every year,” Mr Burke said.
“Due to their operation in a live runway environment, any shift in technology comes with unique challenges to overcome – but as a sustainability leader, it’s something we are committed to do.
“After 6-months of detailed work with AUSEV, so far the Lightning is ticking all our boxes and we look forward to a robust trial with two of the vehicles.”
The BossCap Group has taken its right-hand drive Lightning models to the global market too, providing foreign aid organisations and even designing and supplying a bidirectional vehicle-to-home (V2H) solution for use in developing countries.
“We recently completed a major deal to supply foreign aid vehicles to the indo-pacific,” Mr Brady said.
“We also developed a 240v Vehicle-to-Home solution which is being used to provide electricity in communities with unstable power grids”
Australia’s mining industry is also a focus area for the Bosscap Group, partnering with GB Electric Vehicles to develop site-suitable fitouts that could help decarbonise mine fleets around the country.
A GB-supplied Site Safety Pack features a mine-ready rollover protection system (ROPS), ADR-compliant lightning and a range of hardware options like trays, tow packs and other safety features.
“GB has conducted extensive durability testing and developed a fleet and mine safety pack with both high-voltage and low-voltage isolation,” Mr Brady said.
“These vehicles were tested at Lang Lang proving grounds and at nearby Lakeside Raceway, as well as on-site in real-world mine environments.
“The Lightning models, with our packs added, well and truly stand up to the most rigorous commercial environments.”
One mining player that has taken the all-electric plunge is infrastructure provider MPC Kinetic (MPK), recently ordering six mine spec units for use around Australia.
“It is very important to MPK that these EV utes are up to the task out in the field and able to handle the tough terrain and workloads our teams will put them through,” said MPK CEO, Adam Machon.
“AUSEV’s production line was impressive and the rigour in which they put these utes through at the Lang Lang Testing Facility, buoyed our confidence in their capability and the safety of these vehicles.
“MPK selected this technology following a site visit to AUSEV’s production facility. AUSEV’s local drive conversion and the ute’s NCAP rating all strengthened our confidence in the investment decision.”
While the Lightning models cost more than a typical dual-cab ute, Mr Machon said the company crunched the numbers and he is confident the vehicle can deliver value across its life.
“Our main driver is to reduce our carbon emission footprint where we can, but as we all know, positive environmental outcomes are seldom free and often come at a cost that companies are sometimes not prepared to bear.”
“We crunched the numbers and are confident this EV strategy can work for us on a number of fronts.”
In line with traditional manufacturers, AUSEV is offering a five-year vehicle warranty and is capable of providing on-site servicing and support for fleet customers.
“Having engineering and manufacturing operations in Australia means we can provide unrivalled backup support anywhere in the country, with our national mobile team,” Mr Brady said.
“This makes it a really viable option that is safe, extremely capable and exceeds emissions targets, while creating manufacturing and service jobs to build the local economy.”
The Lightning models are priced from $169,000 before fleet discounts are applied, representing the only full-size 4×4 EV option in Australia so far. While the price may deter some, Mr Brady says it’s important to consider that unlike many EVs the Lightning comes with no loss of productivity.
“While it does cost more than traditional diesel equivalents up front, it offers various benefits and in the long run can save fleets money,” he said.
“It’s also worth considering that this is closer in some ways to an electric truck, in terms of productivity and payload, which are comparatively priced yet don’t offer the luxuries of the Lightning.
“The Ford F-150 Lightning is the only 4×4 EV Ute which can save fleets operational dollars, protect data, and continue to support manufacturing jobs, and build the local economy. Equally important, is that it delivers decarbonisation without loss of real-world capability.”
