World first ultra-battery dump truck charges continuously on the move
Hitachi reports that the "world's first ultra-large full battery dump truck" is being put to work at an open-pit copper/gold mine in Zambia. The prototype will undergo validation testing under operating loads to verify basic performance of the vehicle itself, and the support infrastructure.
Mining is a dirty business, but we have seen a number of efforts aimed at cleaning up its act – at least as far as the heavy machinery is concerned. Previous attempts to curb emissions during mining operations have come from the likes of GM, Fortescue, Caterpillar and Anglo American.
Hitachi Construction Machinery began its project in 2021, joining forces with tech titan ABB "to explore opportunities for mine operators to target net-zero emissions from mining machine." Development of a battery electric dump truck kicked off in June of that year.
By 2023, First Quantum Minerals jumped into the partnership pool, agreeing to feasibility trials for the truck at its Kansanshi copper/gold mine in Zambia – where a number of Hitachi trolley trucks were already in operation.
