Category: Elphinstone Battery Electric Vehicles

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) for Underground Hard Rock Mining

Elphinstone Pty Ltd is pleased to announce the commencement of a project to develop a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) for underground hard rock mining to address the increasing decarbonisation efforts and expectations of our global customer base. The project will require a significant research and development investment by the company in addition to the recently awarded Australian Federal Government Grant. Leveraging its existing portfolio of underground support vehicles, Elphinstone will develop the Battery Electric Vehicle in collaboration with our customers and supply chain partners and produce these in existing product development and manufacturing facilities in Burnie, Tasmania.

Encouraging Critical Skills Development

The Battery Electric Underground Support Vehicle (BEV) project will build Australian sovereign capability and international export potential, encourage critical skills development required for the future growth of domestic manufacturing, and ensure Australia remains a global market leader in Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS). The project scope will encompass end-to-end research, design, development, testing, validation, manufacturing and market commercialisation of an industry-leading battery electric powertrain integrated into a common base platform from the existing range of Elphinstone E15 support vehicles.

Present and Future Employment Opportunities

Technology projects of this calibre provide growth in highly valued skill sets across the country and will continue to provide jobs in the future. Elphinstone expects the project will create 15 highly-skilled positions to complete the development of both machine prototypes. The positions will include a highly experienced Project Manager with a mechanical or mechatronics engineering background, a lead design engineer and associate electrical designer and mechanical designer, a software development technician, a dedicated mechatronics engineer, a dedicated literature technician, and two product development technicians to oversee a crew of highly skilled auto-electricians and heavy machinery fitters.

Growth Opportunities

Elphinstone envisages that the Battery Electric Vehicle project will also create further opportunities and growth in the state and local communities, something Elphinstone has proudly supported for many years.
Elphinstone is currently engaging with strategic partners who have indicated their interest in working closely with Elphinstone on this development project. The vision is to provide a Battery Electric Vehicle solution at the forefront of technology whilst maintaining a reputation for high quality, premium and reliable products which are well-positioned and recognised globally in the underground hard rock mining industry.

The battery electric products are still in the development phase, but Elphinstone plans to have them commercially available in 2026.

For more information or expressions of interest please direct your enquiries to:-

Brett Cumming
BEV Project Manager
bcumming@elphinstone.com