Cleaning Dirty Mines

Zero-emissions Ecruiser Is Being Trialled at Bhp Billiton’s Olympic Dam Site.
 

- Tristan Tancredi

A VOLTRA eCruiser light electric vehicle – based on the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series – is currently being trialled at BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam site in South Australia, before it joins the company’s underground fleet of light vehicles in July.

The Voltra eCruiser is a 70 Series Land Cruiser that has had its innards removed – diesel engine, exhaust system, fuel tank, radiator, snorkel and other engine related components – and replaced with battery boxes and lithium cells to create a 4WD with zero emissions.

“Charging time is less than one hour when charged with the Voltra fast charger,” Voltra’s Project Manager, Andrew, told 4X4 Australia. “The expected range is 80-100km in mining conditions.”

The benefits of a zero-emissions mining vehicle are obvious, with the most notable being the improved air quality for underground workers, as they don’t have to breathe in diesel exhaust emissions and particulate matter in the confines of a mine.