Why the first EV Hilux could be AUSSIE: Toyota partners with mining giant BHP to electrify their 5,000-strong fleet

The rumble of internal combustion engines in Australia’s mines could soon be silenced as one of the country’s last strongholds of raw grunt power embraces an electric future.

Where gigantic trucks like the Caterpillar 793F once rolled onto the pitsides and pumped 2,000kW of raw muscle from its 78-litre 16-cylinder diesel heart, now there will be only a soft hiss and a slight hum.

And the smoking snort of dirt-caked cars and SUVs hurtling through the outback will be more of a polite hum than a cacophony of pistons banging and clattering.

Mining giant BHP is about to get Tesla’ed. Or in this case Toyota’ed.

They have signed a deal with the Japanese automaker to help develop the first all-electric versions of their legendary Landcruiser and HiLux cars and 4WDs.

It’s another critical step in the mineral company’s decarbonization march to zero emissions by 2050 and a 30 percent reduction by 2030.

But it’s also a milestone for Toyota, which has so far resisted the global move to all-electric vehicles, despite the move taking its rivals by surprise.

And Australia is about to be at the center of Toyota’s electric revolution.

The design and engineering team of the world’s largest automaker at the Altona plant in Melbourne will work closely with BHP on the first major prototypes.

The electric version of Toyota’s light vehicles is one of the final puzzle pieces for BHP to reduce its emissions, which have already fallen by 24 percent since 2020.

Australia’s largest company is Toyota’s largest customer, with a massive fleet of 5,000 iconic cars and SUVs.

The challenge, however, is to make those 4x4s fully electric – with a carmaker that has so far focused purely on converting its vehicles to hybrids, which combine electric motors with conventional petrol or diesel engines.

Former Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda insisted that the hybrid approach was actually more environmentally friendly and kept costs low for car buyers and manufacturers.

The automaker only mass-produced one all-electric model: the BZ4X SUV… and it flopped. The wheels literally fell off when loose hub nuts forced a global recall.

Rebuilt around an existing internal combustion engine model, the design compromises forced prices and sacrificed performance, leading to disappointing sales.

But with Mr Toyoda’s departure in April, Toyota has finally changed direction, with plans to fully electrify much of the automaker’s offerings in the coming years.

And BHP will be key to their plans to accelerate the electrification of their flagship Landcruiser and HiLux range.

The Japanese giant teamed up with Tesla to develop an electric version of the RAV4 SUV, but has now opted to develop their own solutions and technology.

“Toyota has a lot of experience in research and development and they have a lot of experience with the hybrid engine,” BHP purchasing manager James Agar told Daily Mail Australia.

‘Battery electric, I would say, they are less advanced.

“But I know it’s something they’ve brought in recently in terms of capacity building and momentum.”

BHP’s plans are well advanced in converting their giant mining trucks from oil sippers to spark zappers, with the first electric behemoth to begin trials within a year.

It will be able to carry 240 tons using an eight-ton battery that will be charged by braking and an overhead electric trolley-style charging system to use on the go.

The tram-like system is expected to be easier to use in practice than trying to replace the truck’s empty monster-sized batteries with fully charged batteries.

“It’s essentially like a tram line, where you can start up and connect to a cable as you drive up the well,” BHP purchasing manager James Agar told Daily Mail Australia.

“Our view is that if we can keep the battery charged through those dynamic charging options, that will be great. That all works well with the heavy trucks.’

He added: ‘Counterintuitively you would probably think we would be more advanced with the light vehicles.

“But the opportunity for us now is to use our experience and help Toyota with all their expertise and know-how to accelerate a light vehicle program.”

Toyota team in Altona previously worked on the HiLux Rugged X and HiLux Rogue and BHP say they are excited to be at the forefront of the company’s electric shift.

“A feature of this collaboration with Toyota engineers is designing a prototype that we will test and work with their team in Altona,” said Mr. Agar.

“Our team will be represented from the operations we have in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland, but I know Toyota is considering different options for the Altona plant.”

The huge BHP-Toyota project will now create a blueprint for other industries and companies to convert their fleets to all-electric.

And the lessons learned in creating BHP’s electric fleet – which will be designed to handle the worst of the rugged outback around BHP mines – will then be used in the retail versions available to the public.

The company will also work closely with Toyota to develop pioneering new accident prevention measures for the fleet as well.

“The partnership with them will focus on two things,” Mr Agar said. ‘In addition to electrification, mainly to work together on safety innovation.

“How can we work on things like collision avoidance, one of the biggest causes of safety issues in our industry operations?”

The planned timeline aims to transition BHP’s entire vehicle inventory to all-electric by the end of the decade, with a seven-year development window ahead.

Matthew Callachor, CEO of Toyota Australia, said the partnership with BHP – which will test prototypes on site in mines – was vital for both.

“BHP is a major player in Australia’s export industry,” he said.

“Toyota Australia is pleased to announce this partnership, which is designed to improve safety and reduce vehicle operation and other CO2 emissions at BHP sites.”