Zijin invests in proprietary battery-electric mining dump trucks
Zijin Mining is one of China’s largest producers of gold, copper and zinc. After finding no suitable vehicles on the market that met its requirements, the company decided to establish its own production and assembly line for battery-electric mining dump trucks. By the end of 2025, the first model, the LK220E, had rolled off the production line. Zijin now operates nearly 300 battery-electric dump trucks, which, depending on the configuration, weigh up to 140 tonnes and are equipped with swappable batteries with a capacity of 776 kWh.
According to thedriven.io, the first LK220E vehicles were delivered to the Julong copper mine in May. The mine is located at an altitude of around 5,300 metres and is considered a challenging operating environment due to its low temperatures and demanding terrain. Zijin has stated that the vehicles achieved an availability rate of over 90 per cent and reduced energy consumption by more than 17 per cent compared to similar models. The company is also developing additional models, including the larger battery-electric dump truck LK350E and the autonomous electric truck LK110EI. A delivery agreement for the LK350E has already been signed with the Julong copper mine, though Zijin has not yet disclosed the number of vehicles involved.
Zijin is also advancing electrification at other sites. For example, the Xinjiang Zijin zinc mine is gradually replacing its diesel fleet with battery-electric vehicles. According to the company, more than 290 electric trucks from various manufacturers are already in operation there, including vehicles from the Chinese manufacturer Lingong Heavy Machinery. These trucks now handle over 80 per cent of the mine’s transport volume, based on company statements.
The Xinjiang Zijin zinc mine also operates a so-called ‘Zero Carbon Transport Loop’, powered by electricity from local wind and solar farms, as well as energy storage systems. The concept is complemented by an automated battery-swapping system that, using artificial intelligence, can perform over 180 battery swaps per day. A battery swap for the approximately 90-tonne vehicles takes around four minutes and can be carried out at temperatures ranging from minus 40 to plus 40 degrees Celsius.
Additionally, Zijin uses a digital fleet management system that monitors battery status and safety data in real time. According to the company, this has reduced speeding violations by 75 per cent. The experiences gained in Xinjiang are set to be applied to other open-pit mining sites operated by the group in the future.
The market for electric mining and heavy-duty vehicles is currently gaining momentum worldwide. Volvo Construction Equipment launched series production of the electric articulated haulers A30 Electric and A40 Electric in April. According to the company, these are the world’s first battery-electric articulated haulers of this size class to enter series production.
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