John Deere engineers have tested a 460E Articulated Dump Truck (ADT) at high altitude, in the Atacama Desert Region of Northern Chile. This of course is an area with lots of mining and the trial program tested the reliability of the 460E in these extreme elevations and rugged mountain conditions. In preparation for the tests in Chile, the company had previously performed preliminary testing at over 3,000 m in Colorado to better understand the potential challenges to the truck’s John Deere 13.5 litre engine at high altitude.

In the Andes, the team performed numerous cold start tests with the ADT, which operated at up to 4,900 m and provided the engineers with a better understanding of high altitudes’ effects on equipment. The tests also  provided ideas for changes to the truck to help the 460E ADT perform well in South America.