• Tembo Tusker is only the 2^nd full electric utility vehicle pick up truck to receive full on road homologation VTA regulatory approval in Australia
• Tuskers can now be driven on road and off road in all states and territories across Australia
• VTA regulatory approval provides platform for Tembo to accelerate sales and deliveries of Tuskers to customers across all of Australia

LONDON, Nov. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tembo E-LV B.V. (“Tembo”), a subsidiary of Nasdaq-listed B Corporation, VivoPower International PLC (Nasdaq: VVPR) (“VivoPower”), is pleased to announce that it has secured full on road homologation vehicle type approval (VTA) for Tembo Tusker 100% electric utility vehicles across the Australia market.

The approval secured by Tembo makes the Tusker only the second full electric ute to receive full on-road homologation in Australia.

VTAs are a critically important regulatory milestone in the Australasian pick-up truck market, which we estimate to be approximately US$10 billion. Without VTAs, vehicles are not considered homologated and cannot be legally driven on public roads across Australia and New Zealand. They are crucial for ensuring that vehicles, including EVs, meet essential safety, environmental, and anti-theft standards before hitting the road. Under the Road Vehicle Standards (RVS) legislation, these approvals – managed by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, and Communications – verify that EVs comply with stringent national regulations covering design, construction, and performance. As EV adoption accelerates, VTAs become vital in regulating new fully electric vehicle models in the market. They address unique EV-specific standards, such as battery safety and charging capabilities, helping manufacturers demonstrate compliance with local regulations. This not only enhances road safety but also builds consumer confidence in innovative EV technologies.

Tembo is currently in the process of securing similar clearance for Tuskers in New Zealand.

Chris Mallios, Chief Commercial Officer, VivoPower, said: “The Tembo Tusker range will augment our conversion programmes, increasing choices for Tembo’s B2B customer base and target market. Depending on where a fleet customer is in their fleet replacement cycle and/or depending on their strategic requirements and total cost of ownership considerations, we will now be able to offer a choice of a full electric utility vehicle or a conversion of an existing utility vehicle. This expanded offering underscores Tembo’s commitment to providing tailored sustainable energy solutions to meet the diverse requirements of our global customer base.”

 The Tembo Tusker range is available in single (Tusker-S) and dual-cab (Tusker-D) body configurations, with both 65Kwh and 77Kwh variants providing ranges of 330 km to 400 km, on a single charge, respectively. The vehicles will have a payload capacity of 1000 kg and an unbraked towing capacity of 750 kg.

Tembo will now seek to fast-track its strategy of bringing the Tuskers to other markets where it has customers and partners, including the United Arab Emirates, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Canada, amongst others.

About VivoPower 

Established in 2014 and listed on Nasdaq since 2016, VivoPower is an award-winning global sustainable energy solutions B Corporation company focused on electric solutions for off-road and on-road customised and ruggedised fleet applications as well as ancillary financing, charging, battery and microgrids solutions. VivoPower’s core purpose is to provide its customers with turnkey decarbonisation solutions that enable them to move toward net-zero carbon status. VivoPower has operations and personnel covering Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates.

About Tembo

Tembo electric utility vehicles (EUVs) are a 100% electric solution for ruggedised and/or customised applications for fleet owners in the mining, agriculture, energy utilities, defence, police, construction, infrastructure, government, humanitarian, and game safari industries. Tembo provides safe, high-performance off-road and on-road electric utility vehicles. Its core purpose is to provide safe and reliable electrification solutions for utility vehicle fleet owners, helping to perpetuate useful life, reduce costs, maximise return on assets, meet ESG goals and seeks to further the circular economy. Tembo is a subsidiary of VivoPower, a Nasdaq-listed B Corporation.

Forward-Looking Statements

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