Toyota Australia, BHP unveil new battery electric-converted Land Cruiser for underground mining use

Toyota Australia has announced a new partnership with BHP for a pilot trial of a converted electric vehicle. The said EV is a Land Cruiser 70 Series single-cab ute that has been converted by the company’s product planning and development division in Port Melbourne.

The converted vehicle, which will be deployed for underground mine use, will operate under full battery power. It’s unclear how the vehicle has been set up, but the electric motor is likely to be positioned where the 4.5 litre turbodiesel V8 used to exist, that is under the bonnet. The EV was even shown to drive through a pool of muddied water.

The trial will take place at the BHP Nickel West mine in Western Australia. Toyota Australia president and CEO Matthew Callachor said the trial is another step Toyota is taking as part of its bigger picture of a zero emissions future.

“BHP and Toyota have demonstrated a strong relationship throughout the last 20 years, and this project is a great testament to how we can both work together as leading companies in our respective industries to change the future,” Callachor said.

Edgar Basto, president of Minerals Australia, BHP said: “This partnership is another step in our ongoing studies into how we can reduce the emissions intensity of our light-vehicle fleet. Reducing our reliance on diesel at our operations will help achieve our medium-term target of reducing operational emissions by 30% by 2030.”

According to CarAdvice, this isn’t the first time a Land Cruiser has been converted for use in the mining industry. Prior to this, GB Auto signed a AUD$330 million deal to supply 2,000 converted EVs to the country’s mining industry over the span of four years.