<
https://thedriven.io/2025/04/16/cheaper-than-a-hilux-ausev-unveils-fully-electric-4x4-mining-and-construction-ute/>
"Australian electric vehicle (EV) distributor AusEV has unveiled what it
describes as Australia’s first fully electric 4×4 mining and construction ute,
and which it says will beat its fossil fuel equivalents on the total cost of
ownership.
The fully electric utes are actually Ford F-150 Lightnings that have been
converted to right hand drive models at the company’s Brendale factory in
Brisbane – recently upgraded at a cost of $14 million – and after extensive
tests that made them “mine ready” for customers.
These alterations include having an extra 12volt battery for resilience, and
also being able to charge that battery with solar cells mounted on the bonnet
of the car.
The Ford F150 Lightning boasts a large 131 kWh battery, and can provide vehicle
to load facilities that can power tools off grid, and even provide emergency
power when generators or the local network is down.
The Ford F-150 Lightning is already a huge hit in the United States, but Ford
hasn’t shown any signs yet of bringing a native right-hand-drive version to
Australia as of yet. That has left the door open for local companies like AusEV
and automotive engineering firm Advanced Manufacturing Queensland (AMQ) to step
in to make the car available in Australia.
Requiring a full rebuild by AMQ to convert it to right-hand-drive, the F-150
Lightning has also been homologated so as to meet compliance requirements in
overseas markets – such as Barbados and countries in the Pacific."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
