Toyota Australia has announced a new partnership with BHP (a global resource company that has no relations to BHPetrol) for a pilot trial of a converted electric vehicle. The said EV is a Land Cruiser […]
BHP tests Toyota EVs at Nickel West
BHP’s Nickel West operation. (
Image courtesy of BHP.)
The companies will test a LandCruiser 70, converted from running on diesel to fully electric via onboard battery power, both on surface and underground settings.
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BHP Minerals Australia president, Edgar Basto, said the partnership is part of ongoing studies into how the company can reduce emissions from its light vehicle fleet.
“It builds on other LEV trials underway in South Australia and Queensland. Reducing our reliance on diesel at our operations will help achieve our medium-term target of reducing operational emissions by 30% by 2030,” Basto said in a media release.
Local Toyota LandCruiser EV trial
Local Toyota LandCruiser EV trial
January 08, 2021
BHP to trial zero-emissions LandCruiser 70 Series produced by Toyota s local R&D unit
Toyota Australia’s product planning and development division has converted a Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series into an electric vehicle and will trial the zero-emissions workhorse ute with mining giant BHP.
The market-leading Japanese brand still has no plans to introduce an EV to showrooms for Australians to purchase for at least the next few years, relying instead on its conventional hybrids which are booming.
Up until now, the car-maker has also stood by as other local independent companies such as Adelaide-based Voltra have in recent years taken the Toyota LandCruiser and replaced the stonking 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8 with a full-electric powertrain, running comparable trials with BHP.
BHP trials Toyota EVs at Nickel West
BHP and Toyota have joined forces to trial light electric vehicles (LEV) at the Nickel West operations in Western Australia.
Under the partnership, a LandCruiser 70 has been converted from running on diesel to fully electric via onboard battery power.
The vehicle is expected to be operational in both above ground and underground settings.
BHP president, Minerals Australia, Edgar Basto said BHP was working to reduce the emissions intensity of its light vehicle fleet.
“It builds on other LEV trials under way in South Australia and Queensland. Reducing our reliance on diesel at our operations will help achieve our medium-term target of reducing operational emissions by 30 per cent by 2030,” he said.