Tritium Pioneers Fast Chargers for the Mining Industry in Combination with Miller Technology’s Most Advanced Light Duty Mining EV
First project, launched at BHP Mitsubishi Alliance mine in Queensland, provides mining industry pathway to achieving global carbon emissions reduction goals.
BRISBANE, Australia – Tritium, a global developer and manufacturer of direct current (“DC”) fast chargers for electric vehicles (“EVs”), and Miller Technology, a leading supplier of mobile mining equipment for safety and productivity, today announced they are providing innovative fast chargers and light duty battery EVs for the mining industry. The companies’ inaugural project at the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (“BMA”) mine in Queensland is an important milestone, supporting the BHP Group’s commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Tritium provided RT175-S fast chargers to BMA for the project. At 175kW of output, the RT175-S can provide 171 kilometres (106 miles) of range to an EV in as little as 10 minutes. This robust charger is liquid cooled with an enclosure that is sealed and IP65 rated, protecting the power electronics against dirt and dust on mine sites.
“As the only liquid cooled, IP65-rated EV charging technology provider, Tritium is uniquely positioned to support the mining industry’s transition to electric vehicles through innovative charging technology that is sealed to protect against sediment, dust and moisture, and rated to operate in harsh conditions,” said Tritium CEO Jane Hunter. “Tritium’s chargers have been operating in the field since 2013 across an array of conditions from the Nordics to Australia. In this industry, that’s a long history of proven track record which gave Miller Technology the confidence to choose Tritium to partner with them in this operational change in support of their goal to reduce emissions at their sites.”
Tritium made modifications to the already robust RT175-S fast charger to meet and exceed Australian mining standards. The modifications made during this project influenced the design of Tritium’s latest charging products with inclusions such as additional safety standards and filtration capabilities.
Miller Technology provided BMA with their all-new, fully electric light duty vehicle, the Relay. Capable of charging in as little as 20 minutes for a typical 10-hour mining shift, the Relay can add up to two hours of additional run time through regenerative braking technology. Miller Technology has invested over a decade of research and development into the Relay, concentrating on serviceability, modularity with rugged design and construction.
“Relay’s technology creates a game changing vehicle with its unique battery management system and cooling and temperature monitoring capabilities.
As a result, the Relay is the most environmentally-friendly, safe and efficient light duty mining vehicle of its kind available today,” said Paul Summers, Miller Technology’s Lead Battery Electric Vehicle Engineer. “We’re proud to have provided BMA with the industry’s most advanced solution for sustainable mining in partnership with Tritium and its market-leading fast charging technology.”
The Relay, designed entirely in-house, can carry a two-ton payload and provides 1,550 newton-metre (“Nm”) of torque. It uses an exceptionally efficient and robustly-tested rechargeable energy storage system (“RESS”). The Relay charges through the combined charging system (“CCS”) type 2, one of the most convenient and most widely adopted charging standards.
About Tritium
Founded in 2001, Tritium designs and manufactures proprietary hardware and software to create advanced and reliable DC fast chargers for electric vehicles. Tritium's compact and robust chargers are designed to look great on Main Street and thrive in harsh conditions, through technology engineered to be easy to install, own, and use. Tritium is focused on continuous innovation in support of our customers around the world.
As announced on May 26, 2021, Tritium has entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination with Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation II (NASDAQ: DCRN, DCRNW), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), that would result in Tritium becoming a publicly listed company. Completion of the proposed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2021.
For more information, visit tritiumcharging.com.
About Miller Technology
Miller Technology has designed and produced vehicles for the mining sector for over 40 years, being founded in 1979. Core business in recent decades has focussed on modifying the Toyota Land Cruiser for specific mining applications, such as underground scissor lifts, personnel carriers, ANFO Explosive Loaders, etc.
In 2011 it was realised that new technologies were needed to offer a cleaner, safer environment for mine workers and the general environment. Miller Technology started to explore these new technologies, initially pursuing Battery Electric Vehicle technology, and the subsequent 10 years of exhaustive development has culminated in the Relay BEV, along with an electric underground grader utilising the same powertrain as the Relay.
Latest technologies continue to be explored with current engagement in fully autonomous electric vehicles for mining and investigations into the development of hydrogen fuel cells as an energy source.
More information on the current vehicle range can be found at millertechnology.com