Electric Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series ute revealed for Australia – but not showrooms

Australian firm Zero Automotive plans to begin its roll out of 200 electric Toyota LandCruisers to local mines from late 2024, joining the growing list of companies sending battery-powered utes underground.

Australian electric commercial vehicle manufacturer Zero Automotive has unveiled its zero-tailpipe-emissions Toyota LandCruiser – but like many of its rivals, the battery-powered ute will only be used on mines sites around the country.

Last week, Adelaide-based firm Zero Automotive unveiled the ZED70 Ti – an electric single- or dual-cab Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series built to work underground in the West Australian mines.

The electric ute is Zero Automotive’s second-generation model, with the company claiming it makes 50 per cent more power than its predecessor – now boasting 200kW and 1200Nm, or 49kW and 570Nm more than the 79 Series’ twin-turbo 4.5-litre V8 diesel engine.

According to the firm, the Toshiba-built 60kWh Lithium Titanate Oxide (LTO) battery retains 70 per cent of its capacity after 20,000 full-use cycles, and can be charged at up to 22kW on an AC fast-charger or 160kW on a DC ultra-fast charger – reducing charge times to less than 25 minutes.

The LTO battery also offers a key safety advantage compared to more traditional lithium-ion batteries, in that it cannot suffer from thermal runaway, keeping workers underground safe  in the event of a fire.

Additional upgrades include Zero Automotive’s own Hazardous Environment Protection System (HEPS), which provides underbody armouring to protect the chassis from corrosive materials in mines.

The company has announced it has already received an order for 200 ZED70 Tis from CarBon Leasing and Rentals, a mine-specific vehicle leasing company.

Zero Automotive claims the first deliveries of its electric Toyota LandCruisers to CarBon will begin in the fourth quarter of 2024 (October to December).

It is not the only Australian company aiming to supply local mines with electric utes.

In January, Melbourne-based electric commercial vehicle manufacturer SEA Electric announced its plans to convert 8500 Toyota HiLux and LandCruiser utes to electric power for the Australian mining industry over the next five years.

At the time, SEA Electric claimed the deal to supply the Mining Electric Vehicle Company (MEVCO) with the 8500 electric HiLux and LandCruiser utes by 2028 is worth almost $1 billion – working out at an average cost of more than $115,000 per vehicle.

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