SEA Electric Partners with MEVCO to Electrify 8,500 Hilux and Landcruiser Models for Mining Industry
SEA Electric has made the next step in its journey to electrify the world’s commercial vehicle fleet, by signing a significant Memorandum of Understanding with MEVCO, a leading systems integrator focused exclusively on electric light commercial vehicles within the mining industry.
SEA Electric has made the next step in its journey to electrify the world’s commercial vehicle fleet, by signing a significant Memorandum of Understanding with MEVCO, a leading systems integrator focused exclusively on electric light commercial vehicles within the mining industry.
The partnership will see specialist all-electric Hilux and Landcruiser models made available for the mining industry, with MEVCO making a commitment to order 8,500 units over the next five years.
The deal has a total value of close to AU$1 billion.
At the time of the launch, over half of the 2023 allocation of the Australian-developed battery-electric vehicles have been pre-sold, with demonstration models available in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
At the heart of the arrangement is SEA Electric’s proprietary SEA-Drive® power-system, which provides leading all-electric range, driving performance, and environmental credentials, with zero local emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, or nitrous oxide.
Thanks to its medium‐voltage architecture and no requirement for active thermal management, SEA Electric’s solution is light, cost‐effective, and efficient, with the system tested in the field across eight countries with 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 two SEA-Drive® options, namely an 88kWh battery which provides 380km of range, or a 60kWh battery delivering up to 260km of use.
Fast DC to DC charging is available for the system, which provides up to 80 per cent battery power in less than one hour, with a five-year factory warranty on the batteries supplied.
For users, the switch to EV provides a comfortable work environment, with health and safety considerations including no noise, fumes, heat, or vibrations.
MEVCO is a portfolio company of RCF Jolimont – the innovation fund of Resource Capital Funds, one of the largest private equity managers in the world focused on mining.
“This is a pivotal partnership for the mining industry,” said Matt Cahir, MEVCO CEO.
“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.
“SEA Electric’s unique architecture is perfectly suited for the task, with the system’s high-torque characteristics ideally fit for purpose.”
For SEA Electric, the announcement is the logical next step in the company’s expansion in the commercial vehicle space, opening up possibilities for the technology on a global scale for a wide variety of applications.
“Across all industries, companies now understand they have a role to play in ensuring they are a part of the solution to the environmental problems we face,” said Tony Fairweather, SEA Electric Founder & CEO.
“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.
“Through MEVCO, the mining industry will now be able to access cutting-edge technology, which delivers top performance and total cost of ownership prospects, all with sustainability at the forefront.
“This deal is a significant step forward in Australia and shows just what is possible when it comes to electrifying the world’s fleets.”
For further details on MEVCO, visit www.mevco.com, with information on SEA Electric, visit www.sea-electric.com/en_au.
For technical option specs of the Hilux variant, please see: https://www.mevco.com/_files/ugd/a48edd_f04ab24aa91546679bcf70320d8bbcb2.pdf
About SEA Electric
SEA Electric is an Australian company with a global reach specialising in the assembly and 100% electrification of commercial vehicles worldwide. Dealing directly with vehicle users and working alongside automotive OEM’s, SEA Electric supplies and licences patented technology.
SEA Electric was founded in 2012. After four years of product development and testing, SEA Electric launched its commercial operations in early 2017, triggered by the reduction in battery kWh pricing, allowing for commercial feasibility in offering electric drivetrains to the global market.
About MEVCO
MEVCO is a systems integrator specialising in Battery Electric Light Commercial Vehicles and all associated infrastructure. Their end-to-end service reduces the risk and accelerates the transition to electric mining fleets.
- Published in Articles, E-Range, Media Release, News, SEA-Drive, Technology
Australian-Made All-Electric Trucks Star in 2022
Australian truck OEM SEA Electric is primed to take advantage of the accelerating push to switch to sustainable commercial eMobility products, with growth and accolades throughout 2022 setting the scene for a bright future.
Produced in Melbourne, SEA Electric’s comprehensive range of all-electric trucks is now available from a nationwide dealer network, with solutions flexible for a wide variety of final applications.
First deployed in 2017, the company’s SEA-Drive® power-system can be found in the light and medium-duty SEA 300 EV and SEA 500 EV models, and is adaptable to practically any installation type.
Highlights of the 2022 year have included the doubling of size of the company’s manufacturing base at Dandenong in Victoria to 8,000m2, paving the way for the in-house production of up to 2,080 units per annum.
The SEA Electric range also continued its award-winning run when it claimed the Sustainable Environment Award at the Australian Freight Industry Awards.
Internationally, SEA Electric won the Green Car Journal’s 2022 Green Car Product of Excellence™ Award, which was added to the Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia’s Product Innovation Award for 2021.
“This year will go down in the books as the year Australia finally started to take the change to EV solutions seriously, and SEA Electric has been at the forefront of the conversation with both Governments and industry about how to best facilitate the switch,” said Bill Gillespie, SEA Electric President, Asia Pacific Region.
“Even within the EV space, Glen Walker, our Vice President of the Asia Pacific Region, was voted onto the board of the Electric Vehicle Council, giving the zero-emissions logistics sector further voice.
“We are fortunate that our products have had a decade of research and development undertaken right here in Australia, and they are proven in the field with over 2 million kilometres of use to date.
“Our products are ready to deploy right now, and we are set to take the next leap in our journey in 2023.”
Other significant announcements from this year have included the expansion of the company’s ecosystem of collaborators, who are assisting fleets in transitioning to a sustainable future.
Amongst this is a strategic partnership with EnergyAustralia, plus an extension of the association with National Transport Insurance, who not only provide 24/7 roadside assistance for SEA Electric owners, but also around-the-clock telephone support, with further partner announcements expected imminently.
Leading the many notable new vehicle deliveries this year for the company was the country’s first all-electric aviation refueller, which has been deployed by Air bp to Brisbane Airport.
- Published in E-Range, Media Release, News, SEA-Drive, Technology
SEA Electric Showcase at NZ Trucking Industry Show
The SEA Electric SEA 300-85 EV will be showcased at the upcoming New Zealand Trucking Industry Show for the very first time, with the all-electric model set to accelerate the sustainability push across the country’s transport sector.
Now available for order in New Zealand, the model is highly adaptable to a range of final applications, such as dry or temperature-controlled freight, as a cherry picker, a tipper, a refuse vehicle and more, with a choice of wheelbase and payload combinations available.
Founded in Australia in 2012, SEA Electric has been a pioneer in the electric commercial vehicle space since launching its first products in 2017, with the domestic New Zealand market staunch supporters of the brand’s systems in several pioneering installations over the years.
The SEA 300-85 EV represents SEA Electric’s launch as an official OEM, with the line assembled as new at the company’s Australian facility.
Complete with a SEA-Drive® 120-15 power-system that produces a peak of 1,500Nm of torque and up to 125kW of power, the truck being displayed features a 138kWh battery which allows for an unladen range of up to 300km.
The TMC Trucking Industry Show runs from November 25 to 26, at the Canterbury Agricultural Park, Christchurch, with the SEA Electric team on location at site 48 across the two-day event.
The TMC Trucking Industry Show will be held at 102 Curletts Road, Sockburn, Christchurch, with details available at www.nztruckingassn.co.nz/trucking-industry-show.
- Published in Media Release, News, SEA-Drive, Technology
