SEA Electric has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MEVCO, a leading systems integrator focused entirely on electric light commercial vehicles within the mining industry.
The collaboration will see the availability of dedicated all-electric Hilux and Landcruiser models for the mining industry, with MEVCO committing to order 8,500 units over the next five years.
Over half of the 2023 allotment of Australian-developed battery-electric vehicles had been pre-sold at the time of the launch, with demonstration examples available in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth.
The centrepiece of the arrangement is SEA Electric’s exclusive SEA-Drive® power system, which offers an industry-leading all-electric range, driving performance, and environmental credentials with zero local emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, or nitrous oxide.
According to SEA Electric, its solution is light, cost-effective, and efficient due to its medium-voltage architecture and lack of the need for active thermal management, with the system tested in the field across eight nations and over 2.5 million kilometres of real-world use registered to date.
Available in various mining-specific designs for 4×4 and 4×2 configurations, the vehicles can be specified with one of two SEA-Drive® options: an 88kWh battery with a range of 380km or a 60kWh battery with a range of 260km.
Fast DC to DC charging is offered for the system, which can deliver up to 80 per cent battery power in less than an hour and comes with a five-year factory warranty on the provided batteries, SEA Electric added.
Users benefit from the transition to EV by having a more comfortable work environment with no noise, fumes, heat, or vibrations.
MEVCO is a portfolio company of RCF Jolimont, an innovation fund of Resource Capital Funds, one of the world’s leading mining-focused private equity managers.
MEVCO CEO Matt Cahir described the partnership as pivotal for the mining sector.
“It enables the world’s leading EV technology for heavy and light commercial trucks to be commercialized on a scale that makes sense for the bespoke needs of the mining sector,” Cahir said.
Cahir stated that SEA Electric is the appropriate choice for the job due to the system’s high-torque features and distinctive construction.
For SEA Electric, the announcement is the obvious next step in its commercial vehicle expansion, offering up opportunities for the technology on a worldwide scale for a wide range of applications.
SEA Electric Founder and CEO Tony Fairweather said companies across all industries now recognise that they have a responsibility to ensure that they are part of the solution to the environmental problems we face.
“With the SEA-Drive® power-system, we have developed technology that is perfectly adaptable to a wide range of commercial vehicle tasks that have typically been the domain of diesel-powered engines,” Fairweather stated.
Fairweather added that the mining industry will now have access to cutting-edge technology that gives top performance and total cost of ownership prospects, all while keeping sustainability in mind.
“This deal is a significant step forward in Australia and shows just what is possible when it comes to electrifying the world’s fleets,” he said.
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