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A partnership involving Ireland’s CoolPlanet Group, Australian engineering firm Climatech Zero and the German automotive electronics specialist, Huber Automotive, is aiming to become a significant player in the Australian mine light-vehicle electrification market over the next three years.
CoolPlanet said this week it had extended a five-year commercial arrangement with Sydney-based Climatech Zero “to facilitate the electrification of light vehicles used in mines and elevate vehicle safety standards”.
CoolPlanet licenses its analytics, reporting and decarbonisation system, CoolPlanetOS, to Climatech Zero in Australia and New Zealand and has signed a new agreement to license its Autonomous Vehicle Operating System (AVOS) to Climatech Zero for the same region.
The partnership plans to integrate both systems into Huber Automotive-equipped Toyota land cruisers, the most popular light utility vehicles in Australian mines.
“This integration will set the stage for CoolPlanet and Climatech Zero to work with Huber and others to introduce these electric mining vehicles to the Australian market in early 2024,” the companies said.
“CoolPlanet and Climatech Zero expect to sell 200 of the electric Land Cruiser mining vehicles in 2024, a projected 1200 in 2025 and a further 6000 in 2026.”
Climatech Zero says it is already providing five Australian mining companies with energy reduction services. As well as its involvement in the sale of EVs it expects to provide servicing and maintenance operations “on the ground”.
