Lithium and iron ore miner Mineral Resources Limited will soon use Australian-engineered electric Toyota HiLux utes for its mine site operations.
MinRes will be the first mining company in Western Australia to take delivery of the vehicles, with the first batch expected to arrive in April.
The electric utes were ordered through mining industry vehicle supplier and global systems integrator MEVCO and are part of a deal the company inked last month of SEA Electric.
Over the next five years SEA Electric will convert 8500 Toyota HiLux and LandCruiser utes from diesel-powered engines to all-electric using its SEA-Drive power-system for MEVCO.
The deal is worth almost $1 billion.
MinRes' HiLux utes will be fitted with an 88 kilowatt hour battery, which is able to provide a range of up to 380 kilometres and in less than one hour it can be charged up to 80 per cent.
No noise, fumes, heat or vibrations are produced by the electric vehicles.
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A demonstration model arrived in Perth this week and for MinRes, they are part of its plan to decarbonise mining operations and reach net zero emissions by 2050.
At its Onslow Iron project the company is reducing emissions through a plan to transition road trains from diesel to electric.
Meanwhile at its Wonmunna iron ore project in the Pilbara, a 2.1 megawatt solar array and battery system is being installed. This will provide 30 per cent of the site's energy requirements.
MinRes also produces high-quality spodumene concentrate and battery grade lithium hydroxide from the Mt Marion and Wodgina mines, in the Goldfields and Pilbara regions, respectively.
It is also not the first time MinRes has used a product converted by SEA Electric, two years ago it took delivery of the first all-electric light truck off the SEA Electric production line.
MinRes mining services CEO Mike Grey said the company has a plan to transition to a low-carbon future and cutting its reliance on diesel was central to achieving this goal.
"Our MEVCO electric utes are just one of the many ways we're driving towards net zero and an exciting step in our decarbonisation journey," Mr Grey said.
"Battery technologies are key to a clean energy future and MinRes is playing a significant role in achieving this global goal.
"As the world races towards decarbonisation, we are part of the journey because it's not just good business but the right thing to do."
MEVCO CEO Matt Cahir said while many companies talk about decarbonisation, MinRes was actually doing it.
