Electric Landcruiser conversion – made for Australian mining – goes viral

The Driven

When a photo of a converted electric Landcruiser posted by NSW-based auto electrical group GB Auto to Facebook went viral last week, it was the last thing anybody expected.

The mining industry is a heavy user of diesel vehicles and machinery, so the potential for electric vehicles to assist the industry transition to cleaner technology has been recognised by a number of industry-related companies – but GB Auto didn’t realise it could spark so much interest.

The post has attracted more than 800 shares and more than 1,200 comments, and reached in excess of 340,000 people – not bad for a humble Landcruiser that has had its guts ripped out and replaced with a battery.

GB Auto GM Bill Dunlop sat down with The Driven to explain how the NSW auto electrical group got involved with Landcruiser conversions, and where it is going from here.

By virtue of its work with the mining industry, the NSW group has secured an exclusive deal with Netherlands-based Tembo to help develop and distribute the Dutch company’s converted Landcruiser and Hilux vehicles locally.

Landcruisers, which are hands down the most commonly used vehicles in the mining industry thanks to hardy architecture, present a great deal of potential for the industry, where exposure to particulate pollution from diesel vehicles and machinery is of great concern for workers.

To read the full story on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle dedicated site, The Driven, click here…