Electric vehicles have successfully achieved the leap from 0 to 1 and are now entering a glorious period of rapid development from 1 to N.

In the field of construction machinery, diesel-powered construction machinery, especiallyloadersmining wide-body trucks and other "gas guzzlers," facing increasingly strict carbon emission restrictions and the vigorous development of new energy technologies, will inevitably undergo a lasting transformation. Electrification is the core of this transformation, and battery technology has become the key element driving it.

Mining wide-bodyThe new energy penetration rate of dump trucks is accelerating

This electrification transformation of construction machinery has demonstrated enormous advantages and potential in multiple aspects.

LiuGongDW105A-E pure electric wide-body truck

Among the various categories of construction machinery, the new energy transformation of loaders and wide-body dump trucks has developed particularly rapidly. Under the same working conditions, their energy consumption costs can be 50%–85% lower than those of traditional fuel-powered construction machinery. This significant energy cost advantage brings substantial economic benefits to enterprises. Moreover, most new energy construction machinery is electric construction machinery, with low end-of-pipe pollutant emissions, which aligns with current environmental protection requirements and further highlights the value of new energy construction machinery.

Focusing on the field of new energy wide-body dump trucks, from the perspective of market size, because their operating sites are relatively fixed, designing and installing charging stations for them is both easy to manage and economically feasible. The deployment of charging stations has improved utilization rates and also driven the transformation of traditional fuel-powered construction machinery to new energy alternative equipment. In addition, active encouragement policies introduced by some local governments have further boosted the industry's development. According to data from Huajing Industry Research Institute, in 2023, calculated by revenue generated jointly by Chinese and foreign manufacturers, the market size of China's new energy wide-body dump trucks reached RMB 1.7 billion, compared with RMB 40 million in 2019, representing a compound annual growth rate of 151.8%. It is expected to further reach RMB 11.2 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate of 45.7%. The new energy penetration rate also increased from 0.2% in 2019 to 7% in 2023 and is expected to rise to 30.0% by 2028. At the same time, the share of new energy wide-body dump trucks produced by Chinese manufacturers in the international market is also steadily expanding, winning international market recognition through advantages such as strong driving stability control systems, higher safety performance, and competitive prices. In 2023, calculated by domestic and export sales revenue, their market size reached RMB 1.9 billion, compared with RMB 50 million in 2019, with a compound annual growth rate of 153.1%. It is expected to further increase to RMB 12.6 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate of 46.4%.

TonlyHeavy Industry TLE105A new energy wide-body truck

Harsh environments place high demands on battery performance

However, the development of new energy mining wide-body trucks places special and strict tests and requirements on batteries.

In terms of energy density, because vehicles carry large loads and consume much energy, high-energy-density batteries are needed to ensure range. However, balancing capacity and density with volume and cost is currently not easy.

Charge and discharge performance is critical. Mining operations are intensive, so batteries must have fast charging capability and be able to discharge at high rates during vehicle acceleration and climbing to deliver strong power.

Cycle life cannot be ignored. Vehicles are used frequently and intensively, so batteries need long cycle life to reduce replacement costs. This depends on optimizing charge and discharge conditions and applying advanced processes.

Safety is of paramount importance. Facing high temperatures, mechanical impacts, dust, and moisture, batteries must have good thermal stability and mechanical safety, as well as a high protection rating.

In terms of environmental adaptability, whether in high-temperature, low-temperature, or high-altitude environments, batteries must operate normally to ensure reliable and stable vehicle operation.

In short, only by meeting these requirements can we help new energy mining wide-body trucks develop better.

CATL's "Tianxing" heavy truck battery emerges at the right time

On November 25, the author attended CATL's new product launch event in Shanghai, where the heavy commercial vehicle battery series named "Tianxing" was officially released. This undoubtedly injected a "shot in the arm" into the electrification development of mining wide-body trucks.

CATL Tianxing heavy commercial vehicle series battery

The CATL Tianxing series batteries cover four versions. Among them, the high-strength version battery, as a battery dedicated to construction machinery, can still maintain high safety after 500,000 kilometers of driving despite many adverse factors such as heavy-load transportation, rugged road conditions, pervasive dust, and variable humidity. Its durability is four times that of the industry's 100,000-kilometer level, strongly ensuring the safe operation of equipment.

Its original "Taishan Architecture" increases the battery's volume utilization rate by 40%, which means that more electricity can be accommodated within the limited body space of mining trucks. It features an IP68 waterproof rating and an "armor coating" that isolates electrochemical corrosion, allowing the battery to remain in good condition even under harsh working conditions.

CATL Tianxing battery "high-strength" version

Today, CATL's Tianxing heavy commercial vehicle series batteries have been mass-produced and rapidly widely applied in the market. Companies such as Tonly Heavy Industry, LiuGong Machinery,XCMGMachinery,BoretonXiangdian Heavy Equipment, North股份, Hongda Times, andLingongHeavy Machinery have all applied them to more than 20 of their vehicle models, including numerous new energymining dump trucks. This move not only enhances the market competitiveness of the relevant models but also drives the entire mining truck electrification market to steadily advance toward higher quality and greater scale, further increasing the sales share of new energy mining dump trucks in the market and accelerating the industry's green transformation process.

The new energy mining truck industry is at a critical period of rapid transformation. Although it faces many challenges, with the support of advanced technologies provided by companies such as CATL and the strong drive of market demand, it will surely move steadily forward on the path of green development, achieve the green and low-carbon transformation of mining extraction, and create greater economic and environmental benefits.

New energy mining wide-body trucks save economic costs