Zero Automotive delivers zero emissions ute

Zero Automotive has commissioned its first single cab, zero emissions, ZED70 Ti EV utility platform at a Western Australian mine site, following on from earlier dual cab deliveries.

The vehicle was delivered to Barminco in Perth who installed mining specification equipment before the vehicle was sent to the IGO Nova nickel-copper-cobalt operation in the Fraser Range east-northeast of Norseman in WA.

After familiarising Operations, Maintenance and Emergency Services personnel with the vehicle, and conducting validation and data gathering runs, the vehicle was successfully passed its underground certification process.

The solar chargeable, underground-ready, battery electric light vehicle (bELV) is the second vehicle delivered by Zero as part of funding awarded to the company by mining equipment and technology industry growth centre, METS Ignited.

METS Ignited invested $400,000 in a collaborative project to accelerate Zero Automotive’s light duty electric vehicle solution for the open pit and underground mining market.

It also forms part of the trials being done by Barminco in their role as lead of the Electric Mine Consortium light and auxiliary vehicle working group, of which Zero Automotive is also a participant.

The vehicle, the first single cab conversion developed by Zero Automotive, includes dual AC/DC-DC charging.

Key commissioning activities to introduce the vehicle to the mine site are well under way.

METS Ignited CEO Adrian Beer said: “Australia’s resources sector is transforming to meet the demand for minerals obtained in a sustainable manner. Mining companies are committed to emission reduction, through their investment in our home grown innovation capability.

The Zero Automotive ZED70 Ti project demonstrates the importance of leveraging this capability for the benefit of the Australian economy.”

Picture: Zero Automotive

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