Having showcased its “Green Machine” to attendees at two major events in Australia recently, Electric Power Conversion Australia (EPCA) now has plans to produce 50-70 battery-electric mining trucks annually, according to a recent case study from one of its suppliers.
EPCA, located in Perth, Western Australia, recently electrified a CAT 777 100-ton (91-t) mining truck using a Xerotech Battery System. Known as the “Green Machine”, this project marks a significant advancement in mining truck electrification and showcases EPCA’s expertise in converting diesel mining equipment to fully battery-electric systems, Xerotech says.
EPCA faced the challenge of delivering high power levels for extended operations within the constraints of the existing truck design. Space is a key factor in battery system integration and the widespread adoption of battery-electric applications. The solution was to install six 290 kWh Xerotech batteries, its largest single pack, running in parallel to generate a total of 1741.8 kWh and 671 V. This installation transformed this CAT 777 into the world’s highest energy density, battery-electric mining truck, the supplier claims.
Clayton Franklin, Chief Engineer and Founder of EPCA, said: “We’ve now got the world’s highest energy density, full battery-electric mining truck.”
This truck was first showcased at The Electric Mine 2024, in May of this year, with attendees of the event at Crown Perth able to see the machine in the iron. The company has since gone on to display the machine at Diggers & Dealers, in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, this week.
Switching to battery-electric power increased the truck’s horsepower from 1,000 hp (746 kW) to 1,120 hp and improved the torque from 4,700 Nm to 5,200 Nm. This performance boost, along with an efficiency leap from 35% to 95%, underscores the advantages of the Xerotech battery system, the company said.
The Green Machine offers numerous benefits to operators, including reduced noise and vibration, enhancing comfort and safety. It can run for eight hours on a full charge and recharges in just 50 minutes using smart charging technology, making it ideal for continuous mining operations, EPCA says. “For an operator operating this machine, the advantage is no noise, low vibration,” Franklin said, emphasising the improved safety features, including a SIL2-rated functional safety system.
EPCA plans to produce 50-70 battery-electric mining trucks annually. With 5,500 mining trucks in Australia and 55,000 globally, the potential impact is substantial, it says. Franklin said: “Our mining clients here in Australia are ecstatic that this truck’s being built and manufactured right here in Western Australia.”
Xerotech’s vision of a fully electric future is, the company says, supported by its scalable and configurable battery platform, enabling every OEM and integrator to embrace electrification. With no recurring engineering and design costs, electrifying prototypes or entire fleets is both feasible and cost-effective.