Prototype Of An Electric Truck Tested In An Australian Mine

The Australian company Fortescue is testing a prototype of an electric truck at the Christmas Creek iron ore mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. This is one of the elements of a strategy aiming to replace the conventional mining fleet with electric and hydrogen vehicles by 2030.

The MT4400 AC truck (Roadrunner) was developed in collaboration with the German-Swiss equipment manufacturer Liebherr.

Custom Battery

The battery used in the vehicle has a capacity of 1.4 MWh. The battery weighs 15 tons, measures 3.6 meters in length, 1.6 meters in width, and 2.4 meters in height. It was developed by the Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) team at Fortescue.

According to the CEO of WAE Technologies, Craig Wilson, the battery was designed to enable fast charging within 30 minutes. The electric truck is also capable of regenerating energy while driving downhill.

Not Just an Electric Truck

Fortescue has confirmed that a 3 MW charger prototype will accompany the Roadrunner, developed among others by WAE. The vehicle is expected to be ready by the end of the year.

The prototype electric truck is part of an agreement that Fortescue entered into with Liebherr in mid-2022. By 2025, Fortescue plans to introduce more zero-emission vehicles into its fleet, which will be developed in collaboration with the German-Swiss manufacturer.

At the Christmas Creek mine, Fortescue is also testing its first hydrogen fuel cell trucks.

Source: pv-magazine-australia.com