Starting June 2020, CPS Africa―the Belgian branch of CFAO Automotive―will bring an electrifying automotive revolution to the African continent: the Electric Cruiser.

Antwerp, June 16, 2020

The challenges for the modern mining industry are clear: reducing health and safety risks in numerous mining sites, while drastically decreasing gaseous emissions, diesel particles in particular. The use of diesel-powered vehicles in the mining industry is rapidly decreasing, and now there is a safer and cleaner solution available: the Tembo Electric Cruiser developed by the Netherlands-based Tembo e-LV B.V.

More cost-effective and easier to replace, the fully electric powered vehicle has caught the innovative eye of mining specialists around the world. The Electric Cruiser is based on the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 series model, which is without a doubt, the most frequently used vehicle in its class for mining purposes.

100 km with one load

The Electric Cruiser is available as an all-wheel drive in several versions, all based on the Toyota 70 series. The vehicle is equipped with a 110-kW electric motor with 250 Nm torque. The temperature-controlled, modular, and exchangeable battery provides a range of 80 to 100 km in proven underground use.

The battery is designed for a long service life of at least 8,000 charging cycles (80 percent DoD) and charges from 20 to 80 percent in 1.5 hours. An external infrastructure is not required; a 22-kW charger sits onboard. The Electric Cruiser reaches a maximum speed of 80 km/h and can negotiate inclines of up to 45 degrees.

Fewer Operating and Lower Ventilation Costs
Reliable, solid, safe, low direct operating costs and substantially lower underground mining ventilation costs―these are some of the key findings shared by early adopters of the Electric Cruiser in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, and Sweden. As one of the market leaders in automotive distribution on the African continent, CPS Africa saw great potential for the Electric Cruiser and from now on, these innovative electric offroad light duty vehicles are an essential part of their product portfolio.

Strategically located in Antwerp, Belgium, CPS Africa can guarantee fast and reliable deliveries, being in proximity to the second busiest container port in Europe. It goes without saying that this (r)evolution means a considerable step forward for the mining industry and for the African continent.

For more information on the Electric Cruiser, please visit:
www.cpsafrica.com

CPS Africa is 100% owned by CFAO group.

ABOUT CFAO

With a revenue of over €5.5 billion, access to 46 of the 54 countries on the continent, and more than 22,000 employees, the CFAO Group promotes growth and industrialisation in Africa as well as the emergence of the continent's middle class.  CFAO is a key player in mobility, healthcare, consumer goods, infrastructure, and energy. The Group partners with leading international brands and covers the entire value chain—imports, wholesale, retail, logistics, and production—in line with the highest quality standards, drawing on close to 170 years of hands-on knowledge and local expertise.

CFAO pursues a twofold strategy that focusses on manufacturing to promote local production and distribution through Africa's largest network to offer tailored, affordable products and services to people across the continent.