Zero Emission Vehicles

What Zero Emission Vehicles does

Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) is a New Zealand-based private designer and manufacturer of purpose-built battery-electric heavy vehicles, founded in 2008 and operating from Palmerston North with a workforce of 1–10 employees. The company's product platform centres on the Voltra battery-electric underground mine utility vehicle (including the Voltra eCruiser) and the ZEV 22000 concept 110-tonne electric haul truck, with additional offerings spanning the ZEV 14000 rubbish-compacting truck and custom heavy freight trucks such as the 58-tonne dual-powered unit built for Fonterra. Core technology comprises permanent-magnet electric motors and power electronics rated for 50,000+ operating hours, multi-channel air conditioning, on-demand power steering, and machine-vision/autonomous control systems that support driver-assist and traffic-blending modes in confined underground environments. The vehicles are designed for multi-charging (including underground charging), enabling continuous operation without returning to surface for refuelling.

ZEV operates a custom-build, project-based revenue model: vehicles are designed and assembled to individual customer specifications, with kitsets manufactured in New Zealand and shipped internationally for final assembly at customer sites or ZEV's Adelaide facility. Pricing is opaque and bespoke, with no public list pricing. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales, led directly by CEO Andrew Rushworth, targeting major mining companies (BHP, Waihi Gold) and large industrial customers (Fonterra). Distribution combines direct enterprise sales with channel partners — most notably Autoline Australia for the Australian mining market — and a wholly-owned regional entity, ZEV China (established March 2019 under Lv Wei Qing), which handles logistics, supply-chain sourcing, and commercial activities across China and into Europe.

The customer base is narrow and concentrated in underground mining and heavy freight verticals, with BHP's Olympic Dam trial (active since mid-2018 and expanding into Western Australia in late 2019) as the most visible commercial validation. The company has secured non-dilutive funding primarily through New Zealand government programmes, including a NZD 500,000 EECA grant for the Fonterra freight programme and a series of Callaghan Innovation R&D grants totalling roughly NZD 276K across 2015–2021. No external institutional equity investment, no parent company, and no revenue figures are disclosed in the available data.

Name

Zero Emission Vehicles

Legal name

Zero Emission Vehicles

Website

https://zevnz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Zero Emission Vehicles is a New Zealand-based private manufacturer of purpose-built battery-electric heavy vehicles — primarily the Voltra underground mining utility vehicle and the ZEV 22000 haul truck — serving enterprise mining customers such as BHP and heavy-freight operators such as Fonterra via custom-built, project-based sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy Electric Vehicles

NAICS

Heavy Duty Truck Manufacturing (336120), Heavy Duty Truck Manufacturing (33612)

SIC

Truck & Bus Bodies (3713)

akta.pro primary industry

Truck & Commercial Vehicle Electrification Manufacturing (eAxles/Battery Packs/Fuel Cells) (IMACABAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty Off-Road Utility Vehicles (UTVs, ATVs, Side-by-Sides) (IMAHAIAG)

Keywords

• Electric haul trucks
• Mining electric vehicles
• Battery electric utility vehicles
• Heavy duty electric vehicles
• Electric freight trucks

Headquarters

HQ city

Palmerston North

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Heavy Electric Vehicle Sales: ZEV designs and builds custom heavy electric vehicles to customer specifications. Revenue is generated through the sale of purpose-built battery electric vehicles including haul trucks, utility vehicles, and freight trucks. Vehicles are manufactured in New Zealand with kitsets shipped internationally for assembly.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) designs and manufactures purpose-built battery-electric heavy vehicles, including 110-tonne underground haul trucks, battery-electric underground mine utility vehicles (Voltra), rubbish compacting trucks, and high-productivity electric freight truck-and-trailer combinations. Vehicles are engineered with permanent magnet electric motors, power electronics, multi-charging systems, machine vision, and autonomous control algorithms tailored for harsh mining and heavy freight environments.

Product overview

Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) is a New Zealand specialist heavy electric vehicle manufacturer offering purpose-built battery electric vehicles for mining, industrial, and commercial applications. The product portfolio includes the Voltra battery electric landcruiser for underground mining, the ZEV 22000 electric 110-tonne haul truck, the Voltra eCruiser for mining operations, the ZEV 14000 battery electric rubbish compacting truck, and custom electric freight trucks. All vehicles feature permanent magnet electric motors and power electronics with significantly reduced maintenance requirements compared to diesel counterparts. ZEV serves the Australasian market with partnerships including Autoline Australia for the Voltra product line, and has expanded internationally with operations in Australia and China.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Voltra: Battery-electric underground mine utility vehicle, including Voltra Landcruiser and Voltra eCruiser models designed for mining operations.
• ZEV 22000

Products and services

• ZEV 22000 Electric Haul Truck Electric 110-tonne haul truck designed for underground mining operations. Eliminates diesel exhaust in confined spaces, achieves approximately twice the tramming speed of diesel competitors on 1:7 gradients, and features maintenance-free permanent magnet motors.
• Voltra Battery Electric Mine Utility Vehicle Battery-electric 4WD underground mine utility vehicle including the Voltra eCruiser variant for mining customers such as BHP. Purpose-built for confined-space mining operations with significantly reduced maintenance compared to diesel counterparts and unique multi-channel air conditioning for operator safety.
• ZEV 14000 Electric Compacting Truck Battery-electric rubbish compacting truck for commercial and industrial waste management applications. Part of ZEV's purpose-built heavy electric vehicle fleet.
• Electric Freight Truck and Trailer High-productivity electric truck and trailer combination for freight logistics, including the 58-tonne Fonterra dairy freight unit - the largest electric road vehicle in New Zealand. Both truck and trailer are powered with electronically-driven axles for even power distribution and reduced road wear.

Quantifiable outcome

• 71 tonnes of CO2 emissions saved per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• B. Strautmann & SohneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2019German agricultural machinery company Strautmann visited ZEV in November 2019 to discuss opportunities around battery electric heavy vehicles and technology. Strautmann has been investigating battery electric technology for its range and developing autonomous systems, seeking global expertise in heavy electric vehicles. ZEV CEO Andrew Rushworth identified common ground and synergies between the companies.
• Autoline AustraliacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorZEV designed and built the Voltra battery-electric underground mine utility vehicle for Autoline Australia. This represents a core distribution partnership for the Australian market. ZEV manufactured kitsets in New Zealand shipped to Australia for assembly by ZEV staff.
• CODAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFreight optimisation company CODA partnered with ZEV and Bay Dairy, backed by EECA funding, to design and build an electric freight truck for Fonterra. The 58-tonne vehicle is a high-productivity truck and trailer with both units powered.
• BHPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBHP has been trialling ZEV's Voltra vehicles at their Olympic Dam mine site since 2018. The successful trial has led to expansion of trials into Western Australia, with BHP providing valuable operational feedback for vehicle refinement and next-generation design.
• Lv Wei QingcoreOthersLv Wei Qing leads ZEV China with decades of experience in the automotive industry working in China and Europe. Wei Qing is responsible for commercial activities throughout China, representing ZEV and ZEV IP, with extensive networks throughout manufacturing and automotive industries.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BYD: BYD is a global leader in battery-electric vehicles with a commercial vehicle portfolio spanning heavy trucks and mining-related equipment. It is a relevant incumbent peer given ZEV's China expansion ambitions and the cross-vertical nature of heavy EV manufacturing.
• Daimler Truck: Daimler Truck (including Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz Trucks) has launched heavy-duty battery-electric platforms (eActros, eCascadia). It is a relevant incumbent peer for ZEV's heavy freight truck programme targeting logistics customers like Fonterra.
• Komatsu: Komatsu is a global mining and construction equipment leader with active programmes in mining truck electrification. Its scale, dealer network, and existing relationships with major miners make it a primary incumbent competitor for ZEV's mining truck product line.
• Volvo Trucks: Volvo Trucks has commercialised heavy-duty electric trucks (Volvo FH Electric, Volvo FM Electric) and is a relevant comparator for ZEV's freight truck and heavy-duty road vehicle programmes, particularly in markets where Volvo's dealer network overlaps with ZEV's customer base.
• Caterpillar: Caterpillar is the dominant global mining equipment OEM and has publicly committed to a battery-electric and hydrogen mining truck lineup, including the 793 battery-electric prototype. As a broad incumbent, it represents the largest competitive threat to ZEV's 110-tonne ZEV 22000 haul truck programme.

Emerging players

• Xos Trucks: Xos Trucks designs and manufactures battery-electric medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles for fleet operators. It is an emerging peer in the heavy commercial EV space, providing a useful comparison on go-to-market approach and capital efficiency for companies like ZEV building purpose-built electric trucks.
• Lion Electric: Lion Electric manufactures and distributes medium- and heavy-duty all-electric vehicles, including trucks and buses. It is an emerging peer serving adjacent heavy commercial vehicle use cases, providing a public-market comparable for capital intensity and unit economics in the heavy EV segment.

Direct peers

• Epiroc: Epiroc is the leading global manufacturer of underground mining equipment, including a growing portfolio of battery-electric loaders, trucks, and drill rigs. It is the most directly comparable competitor to ZEV in the underground mining EV segment, with established relationships across the same tier-1 mining customers (including BHP).
• MacLean Engineering: MacLean Engineering designs and manufactures mobile equipment for the underground mining industry, including battery-electric utility vehicles. It is a closer-fit specialist peer to ZEV in the underground mining EV segment, particularly for utility and personnel carrier applications.
• Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions: Sandvik offers battery-electric underground loaders and trucks as part of its mining equipment range. It competes head-to-head with ZEV's Voltra in the underground mining utility vehicle space and has the scale, dealer network, and installed base to threaten niche specialists.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/zeroemissionvehicles
• Xx.com/zevnz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zero-emission-vehicles

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zero Emission Vehicles