Enhanced Hilux hits the spot
The war for supremacy in the ute market is still being waged by market leaders Toyota and Ford, with the Hilux and Ranger.
Over the ditch in Australia, Toyota utes and trucks are the workhorses of the country’s economy.
With an eye to reducing emissions, as we move into the future, Toyota Australia has converted a venerable Landcruiser 70 Series single-cab ute to an electric drive line. This will be trialled at a BHP Nickel West mine site in Western Australia.
The conversion, carried out by Toyota Australia’s product planning and development division in Port Melbourne, sees the LC 70 equipped for underground use, where it will operate under full battery power.
Toyota Australia’s president and chief executive Matthew Callachor says the trial is another step in the Japanese manufacturer’s move towards a zero carbon emissions future.
“BHP and Toyota have demonstrated a strong relationship throughout the last 20 years and this project is a testament to how we can work together in our respective industries to change the future,” Callachor said.
Edgar Basto, president, of Minerals Australia, BHP, says the partnership is another step in the mining giant’s ongoing studies into how the company can reduce the emissions intensity of its light-vehicle fleet.
“Reducing our reliance on diesel at our operations will help achieve our medium-term target of reducing operational emissions by 30% by 2030,” he said.
Meanwhile, looking at the broader Australian picture, Toyota has almost doubled its sales of hybrid vehicles in Australia during 2020. This saw a record of 54,335 hybrids sold, representing 26.5% of Toyota’s total sales. This was double 2019’s sales of 27,846 units.
The RAV hybrid was the star for Toyota and Australia’s best-selling hybrid for 2020.
On the commercial front, the Toyota Hilux (45,176 sales) was the country’s most popular commercial vehicle for the 23rd year straight and Australia’s best-selling vehicle for the fifth year in a row.
Fewer bobby calves are heading to the works this season, as more dairy farmers recognise the value of rearing calves for beef.
The key to a dairy system that generates high profit with a low emissions intensity is using low footprint feed, says Fonterra program manager on-farm excellence, Louise Cook.
Rural retailer Farmlands has reported a return to profitability, something the co-operative says shows clear progress in the second year of its five-year strategy.
According to a new report, the Safer Rides initiative, which offered farmers heavily discounted crush protection devices (CPDs) for quad bikes, has made a significant impact in raising awareness and action around farm vehicle safety.
OPINION: In the past weeks, much has been said and written about one of New Zealand's greatest prime ministers, James Brendan Bolger, who died just a few months after his 90th birthday.
Following recent storms in the region, the 69th edition of the Tour of Southland cycling event has been postponed.

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