Victoria’s SEA Electric lands $1 billion to convert electric utes for the mining industry

Victorian EV manufacturer SEA Electric just signed a $1 billion deal with systems integrator Mevco to provide electric utes to the mining industry.

Located in Dandenong, SEA specialises in converting urban delivery and commercial transport fleets to its own SEA-Drive electric power system. The company recently doubled its local assembly factory and it also has a facility in California.

In the US it is also converting 1400 Hino trucks into EVs, as well as school buses.

Under its deal with Mevco, SEA will convert approximately 8500 Toyota Hilux and Landcruisers from diesel to fully electric vehicles over the next five years. There will be two power options — an 88kWh battery with 380km range and a 60kHw battery with 260km range. There will also be 4×4 and 4×2 size options.

“Across all industries, companies now understand they have a role to play in ensuring they are a part of the solution to the environmental problems we face,” Tony Fairweather, SEA Electric founder and CEO, said in a statement.

“Through Mevco, the mining industry will now be able to access cutting-edge technology, which delivers top performance and total cost of ownership prospects, all with sustainability at the forefront.

“This deal is a significant step forward in Australia and shows just what is possible when it comes to electrifying the world’s fleets.”

It’s not just SEA, EV conversion is becoming trendy in Australia

But that isn’t the only electric ute news of the week. Aussie startup Roev has just announced plans to convert 1000 utes to be fully electric over the next 12 months. The business was first launched back in 2020 by former Atlassian executives.

According to Roev CEO Noah Wasmer, the business has already received ample reservations that have filled its build spots throughout the remainder of 2023.

Roev is currently focused on converting Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger utes, with pricing starting at $47,990. At the present time, the business has a three-conversion minimum for orders as it focuses on business fleets.

“Those who run a fleet of utes can no longer say that there isn’t an option to start transitioning to electric,” Wasmer said in a statement.

“It’s not a matter of converting or buying new, we strongly believe that fleets should be doing both.”

EV conversion is becoming an increasingly big deal in Australia. Towards the end of 2022, Melbourne-based startup Jaunt Motors merged with Zero EV to become the biggest EV conversion manufacturer in the world. Rebranded as Fellten, the company is going global, with a focus on converting classic cars into EVs.