AUSTRALIA’S automotive and electrical automobile (EV) trade seems to be set to obtain a booster shot from a Letter of Intent signed by Toyota Motor Company Australia Restricted (TMCA) and renewable vitality agency VivoPower to provide regionally transformed electrical LandCruisers 70 Collection autos to fleets across the nation.
The bodily conversions will probably be carried out in Australia by Orange-based specialist GB Auto, utilizing kits designed by VivoPower’s EV subsidiary Tembo, for which GB Auto is the unique Australian distributor.
As well as, GB Auto has grow to be a part of Tembo’s world provide chain, liable for designing and supplying all of the high- and low-voltage- wiring harnesses for LandCruisers transformed utilizing Tembo kits.
The transformed LandCruisers will probably be totally road-legal and ADR permitted once they roll out of the conversion facility.
To cater for what could possibly be a seven-year venture based on the VivoPower announcement – suggesting how for much longer the venerable 70 Collection might survive – GB Auto has began ramping up its operations in Orange and increasing its workforce with as much as 28 new positions anticipated to be created if and when the venture will get as much as full scale.
GB Auto basic supervisor Invoice Dunlop instructed GoAutothe venture was definitely an thrilling one for the model and that it was wanting ahead to working with TMCA.
“On the finish of the day, they selected our product,” he stated.
“It’s undoubtedly thrilling, and folks have numerous religion within the Toyota product and their techniques and processes and high quality and so forth, so it’s improbable to be aligned with that.
“They’ve chosen the product that we’ve got as the most effective product to be aligned with Toyota.
“Subsequent stage is to go to a Grasp Companies Settlement for the provision of these battery electrical kits – we’re excited clearly as a result of the merchandise that we’re already supplying and have trialed with prospects, we’re now in a position to work immediately with Toyota on these and construct primarily to Toyota requirements with their enter.”
Mr Dunlop additionally stated that an prolonged testing program was underway, however stopped wanting confirming or denying whether or not this had been associated to the trial being carried out between Toyota and BHP on the latter’s Nickel West mine in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.
Whereas the unique autos have been fitted with 28kWh battery packs, GB Auto will this week be taking supply of up to date conversion kits – nonetheless courtesy of Tembo – based mostly round greater 72kWh batteries that can have a profound impact on the appliance and vary of the transformed autos.
“It additionally makes the autos much more viable for various trade use,” Mr Dunlop stated.
Additional viability and flexibility is added by the road-legality and ADR compliance of the Tembo autos, that means they received’t simply be restricted to make use of underground.
“In mining, numerous autos, particularly underground are clearly not registered – in the event that they don’t go away web site, there’s no must be registered,” Mr Dunlop continued.
“However what you discover with service operations is that numerous the fleet are registered as a result of they’re used on the floor after which on public roads round (the mine web site) and could possibly be used for getting again to camp in the event you’re in distant areas, or it could possibly be going to city.”
Not solely will the Tembo autos be road-legal, from GB Auto’s standpoint, they may also be obtainable for buy by personal patrons – though the worth of the completed product based on Mr Dunlop will probably be across the $200,000 mark.
The rationale for the excessive value is the conversion course of; GB Auto purchases full model new LandCruiser 70s via Toyota’s supplier community – precisely the identical as a non-public purchaser would – and removes every thing to do with the interior combustion powertrain earlier than putting in the Tembo package.
Every automobile takes a number of weeks to finish, though Mr Dunlop expects that timeframe to shrink as soon as the venture is at full capability.
“You’re not speaking about one or two EVs, you’re speaking about fleets of lots of,” he stated.
As soon as the autos are full, GB Auto could have an arsenal of unused surplus V8 diesel engines and elements obtainable, the resale of which will probably be used to offset a few of the prices of the venture.
“There’s a really robust marketplace for these unused V8s,” Mr Dunlop stated.
“It’s actually fascinating, the quantity of people that have known as about that – there’s been only a farmer who desires one as a result of he blew one up in his farm ute via to firms that simply desire a fixed stream of them.
“It’s the whole thing, it’s not simply an engine or a gearbox, you’re speaking every thing to do with diesel; all of your gasoline tanks, each bracket that holds all that stuff in, your exhaust techniques, your radiator, your air-con, as a result of all of it will get swapped out.”
Whereas the excess inner combustion elements will probably be available “inside purpose”, Mr Dunlop specified the venture solely includes new autos and that the model wasn’t inquisitive about going “backwards” and changing used autos.
“They grow to be bespoke builds and so they’re simply too costly,” he stated.
“In the event you’ve bought to then go and custom-design wiring harnesses and so forth for particular fashions, it’s not likely viable.”
By means of its relationship with VivoPower, GB Auto is ready to supply its fleet purchasers full packages and charging options somewhat than simply particular person EVs.
Chargers (together with photo voltaic), battery back-ups, micro grids and grid upgrades to cater for the brand new infrastructure, battery second life packages, coaching upkeep and help companies are all inside the realm of chance, based on Mr Dunlop, who stated all of that are tailorable to the precise web site and utility.
“In Perth you possibly can go and purchase your self a Tesla and may need a charger at dwelling and a few tremendous chargers down the highway; it’s all there for you,” Mr Dunlop stated.
“Once you go to a mine web site within the Pilbara, clearly none of that’s obtainable, so there’s numerous thought that has to enter infrastructure to help that.”
Given the Grasp Companies Settlement is but to be settled upon, it stays to be seen precisely what TMCA’s involvement within the venture and automobile improvement is past the preliminary automobile buy, with a spokesperson telling GoAuto extra particulars can be “introduced sooner or later”.
The model has made no secret that it is going to be standing by its LandCruiser 70 for the foreseeable future with the EV conversion venture doubtlessly guaranteeing its survival for not less than the following five- to seven-year length of the venture introduced by Vivopower.
