In recent years, coal mines in the eastern Inner Mongolia region have focused on advancing intelligent upgrading and green development models. In the context of actively responding to the "dual carbon" goals, they have coordinated energy supply with the needs of transformation and upgrading, setting a model for the high-quality development of the coal industry. Among these, unmanned mining trucks have become a typical representative.

EQCOG Drive Achieves Accelerated Growth in Eastern Inner Mongolia

In November 2023, mining trucks equipped with EQCOG Drive's autonomous driving technology officially began single-shift operation without safety personnel at the South Open-Pit Coal Mine of SPIC Inner Mongolia Company. Over the following year, EQCOG Drive's autonomous driving technology not only gained the favor of the South Open-Pit Mine of SPIC Inner Mongolia Company but also won the recognition of SPIC Inner Mongolia Company. By the end of 2024, 162 EQCOG Drive autonomous mining trucks had arrived at mines in the eastern Inner Mongolia region, covering 5 open-pit coal mines of SPIC in the region, accelerating the large-scale deployment and application of autonomous driving technology.

In November 2023, 10 mining trucks equipped with EQCOG Drive's autonomous driving technology officially began single-shift operation without safety personnel at the South Open-Pit Coal Mine of SPIC Inner Mongolia Company. After several months of stable and efficient operation, they won customer praise and drove EQCOG Drive's large-scale deployment in the eastern Inner Mongolia region.

In May 2024, the Zhahanaoer Open-Pit Coal Mine of SPIC Inner Mongolia Company officially launched its autonomous mining truck project, and by the end of December a total of 33 autonomous mining trucks had been deployed.

In July 2024, 40 autonomous mining trucks were deployed at the Baiyinhua No. 3 Open-Pit Coal Mine of SPIC Inner Mongolia Company.

In July 2024, the number of autonomous mining trucks at the South Open-Pit Coal Mine of SPIC Inner Mongolia Company increased to 45, with significant improvements in operating efficiency and other aspects, making it a benchmark project for the deployment and application of autonomous driving technology in the Inner Mongolia region.

In November 2024, 10 autonomous mining trucks arrived at the North Open-Pit Coal Mine of SPIC Inner Mongolia Company.

In December 2024, the Baiyinhua No. 2 Open-Pit Coal Mine of SPIC Inner Mongolia Company welcomed 34 autonomous mining trucks.

It is worth noting that EQCOG Drive's development in the eastern Inner Mongolia region has not only seen growth in the number of autonomously operated vehicles but has also gradually achieved a transition from operational services to technical services, further demonstrating customers' recognition of EQCOG Drive's autonomous driving and services.

Simultaneous Efforts in Technology and Operations

Efficiency and safety are important assessment criteria for mines when it comes to intelligent technologies and equipment such as autonomous driving. In this regard, EQCOG Drive has made simultaneous efforts in technology and operations.

On the technology side, EQCOG Drive, building on its mature autonomous driving solution—Zhushan 2.0—gained an in-depth understanding of the environmental characteristics and operational challenges of autonomous mining trucks in the eastern Inner Mongolia region and made targeted breakthroughs. For example, the eastern Inner Mongolia region has relatively high rainfall, and the road surface is soft and prone to forming deep ruts. Such road conditions may mislead autonomous mining trucks into misjudging ruts as obstacles, thereby triggering mid-route stops and disrupting the normal vehicle operation flow. To address this challenge, EQCOG Drive innovatively developed a "rut recognition capability" function. Based on multimodal fusion perception of cameras and LiDAR, this function identifies ruts in the environment, can reduce false detection of low obstacles, and can support driving over ruts, thereby significantly reducing stops caused by misjudgment and improving operating efficiency.

Based on stable and scalable technology, EQCOG Drive continuously optimizes its service processes. For example, it has built an effective standardized system for routine "safety personnel removal." Through standardization of processes, drive-by-wire interfaces, and other hardware, the efficiency of routine "safety personnel removal" has been improved. As of now, the efficiency of routine safety personnel removal has increased from 17 days at the beginning of 2024 to 1 day, making it a reality for unmanned mining trucks to operate on the same day they arrive at the mine.

In terms of operating efficiency, EQCOG Drive's autonomous driving technology has also performed impressively. According to statistics from the South Open-Pit Coal Mine of SPIC Inner Mongolia Company, its overburden stripping autonomous transport project set a record single-day maximum output of 75,000 m3, and autonomous driving operating efficiency reached 98% of manned driving.

With the support of EQCOG Drive's autonomous driving technology, autonomous mining trucks have achieved 100% safe operation in the eastern Inner Mongolia region, with cumulative operating mileage reaching millions of kilometers. This has not only built new quality productive forces for mines with autonomous driving at the core but also enhanced the intrinsic safety of mine production and driven the intelligent transformation and upgrading of mines.

In 2025, EQCOG Drive will further focus on technology delivery in the eastern Inner Mongolia region and accelerate its entry into coal mining operations, using autonomous driving technology to strive to improve mine production efficiency and safety.