Why an electric vehicle?

Why electric vehicles in an underground mine?

The proper maintenance of all health. safety, and clean air protocols is a big part of the challenges faced in underground mining. Continued use of diesel-powered engines exposes the miners to diesel exhaust that medical experts have deemed as a serious health risk.

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With the above in mind and the feedback about the operational costs we have received from customers, we developed the zero emissions Land Cruiser: the Tembo 4x4 Electric Cruiser.

Working
Environment

Cost
Savings

Comfortable
driving experience

Safety

Working Environment

Everyone who has been underground knows how difficult it is to just talk to each other. Along with the exhaust fumes, there is also the inevitable noise pollution from diesel-powered vehicles and the ventilation equipment. Then there is the heat to contend with. Combustion engines have an approximate 40% efficiency of energy use and generate a lot of heat.
All these concerns make the Tembo 4x4 Electric Cruiser an attractive and sustainable alternative.
An electric-powered vehicle has zero emissions, makes little to no noise, and does not generate a lot of heat. Electric motors have an efficiency of over 90% compared with the 40% of combustion engines. Air and noise pollution is minimised, energy is conserved, and the cleaner environment makes working in the mining industry a lot more appealing for potential new employees as well.

The health, safety, and clean air benefits that come from using electric vehicles has also made regulatory bodies worldwide favour
mines that commit to an all-electric underground environment. Making the commitment to go all-electric can result in approvals for permits that would otherwise be denied, and a faster permitting process—both of which are potentially game-changing for mining companies around the world.

Cost Savings

The electrical conversion not only offers zero emissions and increased performance but also generates huge savings on operational costs. The higher reliability of the electrical components means that less maintenance is required and therefore less downtime will occur.

The biggest savings can be made on the energy bill, while the energy costs needed to provide clean and fresh air into the mine and to ventilate the exhaust gases and heat out will be considerably lower when only electrically powered equipment is used. The deeper the mine, the bigger the savings.
The transport and infrastructure for fossil fuels to and in a mine is also quite costly and potentially dangerous. The electric vehicles can make use of the existing electric infrastructure for light and ventilation, and the risk to the grid when charging these vehicles would be quite low.

Comfortable driving experience

Because electric vehicles do not have gear changing, there is no gearbox, and no jerking movement upon acceleration. The EVCU is set to gradually increase the power to the drivetrain, thereby providing not only a smoother ride, but also less stress on the driveline.
By dividing the battery capacity over the front and the rear of the vehicle, the weight distribution improves and prevents bouncing in the rear of the vehicle, which is a common issue when driving an empty pickup.

An electric engine makes almost no sound, as opposed to the noise pollution generated by big diesel engines. The added benefit of less noise pollution is not only advantageous for those within the mine but for the surrounding areas as well.

Safety

Operational environment temperatures of battery and e-motors may vary from -20 up to +70 degrees Celsius with water cooling and heating for subzero areas.

The vehicle’s speed limit can be set by accessing the password-protected software on the dashboard’s instrument panel.

The instrument panel offers several fleet management options to keep the electric fleet in optimal condition.

Our custom-designed instrument panel contains the following extra features:

Time in operation
Distance driven
Service indicator set to workhours
kWh used or regenerating
Temperature of battery & E-motor
Multiple main screens (km/h and/or kWh)
Charging status/current in kW
Customised logos & background

The Tembo e-LV significantly reduces the mine's carbon footprint

Tembo e-LV is a specialist designer and assembler of conversion kits used to convert internal combustion engine vehicles into fully electrified battery electric vehicles. The company currently has a focus on the mining sector and its most prolific vehicles–the Toyota Land Cruiser and Toyota Hilux. Tembo's latest conversion kit is designed for the Land Cruiser and has 72kWh battery capacity/200km range with a capability to deliver 220Nm of torque and 110kW of power, resulting in more pulling power and hill climbing capabilities than the diesel equivalent predecessor.

In addition to the electrification, the Tembo vehicle electrification kit includes a modernised touch screen display; an improved cooling fan and thermal management circuit (heating and cooling for a wide temperature range); regenerative braking for speed control down hills and recouperation of energy; convenient one pedal driving; and an onboard charger to allow the e-LV to be charged by commonplace AC outlets from 20-80% charge in just two hours.

Additionally, the entire e-LV kit has been designed for overground and underground mining environments which require resistance to high salt (corrosion) exposure, ability to endure very rough driving for extensive periods and emphasis on fire suppression systems and battery safety for fire prevention. Tembo electric light vehicles are being extensively validated for these environments with prototype vehicles which are currently being used by mining customers as well as a full validation programme developed by the original equipment manufacturer. Tembo is also developing telematics to collect driving and mining environment data, engendering a unique advantage for future optimisation and design.

Certified Quality

Our company is ISO9001:2015 certified.
We are currently in the process of renewing our ISO 9001 certification, and working towards our ISO 14001 Environment certification as well.

Why an electric vehicle?

Why electric vehicles in an underground mine?

Working
Environment

Cost
Savings

Comfortable
driving experience

Safety

Working Environment

Cost Savings

Comfortable driving experience

Safety

The Tembo e-LV significantly reduces the mine's carbon footprint

Certified Quality

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Make power sustainable.

Tembo e-LV B.V.