The founders of MEVCO had ambitious plans – the Australian company aimed to replace light commercial vehicles in the mining industry with electric pickups and off-road vehicles. It also planned to take on their maintenance, build the necessary charging infrastructure in the mines, and provide monitoring solutions.
Initially, MEVCO planned to deliver a total of 8,500 converted Toyota Hilux and Land Cruiser vehicles to various mining operators. In April 2024, around two years after its founding, the system integrator announced an official partnership with Rivian. From then on, factory-new Rivian R1T models – designed from the ground up as electric vehicles – were to serve as the base for MEVCO’s mining conversions.
These vehicles were intended for deployment not only at Australian mining sites but also in North America. The exterior modifications included a front bull bar, an additional support frame on the load bed to increase rigidity, and a safety flag to ensure the vehicles remained visible to the drivers of larger mining trucks.
The fate of the remaining vehicles remains unclear
Eighteen months after announcing its partnership with the US manufacturer, MEVCO is no longer operating. On 10 September, insolvency specialist BRI Ferrier was appointed to liquidate the company. According to documents filed with the relevant Australian authority, the company’s assets consisted of three Toyota Hilux and thirteen Rivian R1T vehicles.
According to Australian automotive portal Drive, there were also four additional Rivian vehicles, including one van, though details remain unspecified. The future of the fleet remains uncertain. As the vehicles are left-hand drive, they cannot be legally sold in Australia.
Fortescue apparently dissatisfied
The Perth-based startup owes around half a million Australian dollars to approximately 14 individuals, some of whom are employees, and more than 13 million AUD to 50 other creditors. In addition, there are secured debts totalling 2.9 million AUD owed to four creditors. MEVCO itself has outstanding claims of more than 7.1 million AUD, most of which relate to a single company.
The company’s financial collapse is thought to have been influenced by a failed deal with Fortescue, one of the world’s largest iron ore suppliers. MEVCO had originally planned to supply the mining giant with converted electric pickups. Three Rivian R1T models were tested for six months this year at open-pit mines in Pilbara, but after the trial ended, Fortescue decided not to proceed with full-scale deployment of the electric vehicles.
drive.com.au
This article was first published by Elias Holdenried for Ev Authority’s German edition.
