Caterpillar demonstrated its first battery electric mining truck, 793 prototype that maneuvered around a 4.3-mile course at its proving ground in Tuscon, Arizona.
Cat mining customers participating in the electrification program include BHP, Freeport-McMoRan, Newmont Corp., Rio Tinto, and Teck Resources Limited.
During the demonstration around the course, Caterpillar monitored more 1,100 data channels, gathering 110,000 data points per second, to validate simulation and engineering modeling capabilities. Fully loaded to its rated capacity, the truck achieved a top speed of 37.3 mph. It traveled 1 kilometer up a 10-percent grade at 7.5 mph.
The truck also performed a 1-kilometer run on a 10-percent downhill grade, capturing the energy that would normally be lost to heat and regenerating that energy to the battery. Upon completing the entire run, the truck maintained enough battery energy to perform additional complete cycles, according to the company.
“Our global team came together to develop this battery truck at an accelerated pace to help our customers meet their sustainability commitments,” said Denise Johnson, group president of resource industries, in a statement. “This demonstration is a significant milestone, and we are excited for these trucks to get to work at customers’ sites around the world in the near future.”
The program, tagged “Early Learner,” focuses on accelerating the development and validation of Caterpillar’s battery electric trucks at participating customers’ sites. A primary objective of the program is for Caterpillar to collaborate more closely with its customers as the industry undergoes transformational change through the energy transition.
The prototype truck was built at Caterpillar’s Tucson Proving Ground, located in Green Valley, Arizona.
Source: Caterpillar
