With a maximum payload of 240 tons and a host of new features, the first of Caterpillar's next-generation CAT 793 XE Early Learner battery trucks has arrived at Newmont's Cripple Creek and Victor (CC&V) mine in Teller County, Colorado.
Just weeks after the announcement of the next generation of the Caterpillar Large Mining Truck battery electric line, CC&V's Newmont mine in Colorado has been announced as one of the test and validation sites for the first seven new CAT 793 XE Early Learner trucks. to. The production of these trucks marks the second significant development phase of the company's Early Learner EV program following the demonstration of the company's first 793 battery electric prototype in November 2022, and the deployment of that vehicle to Vale's Brazilian mining operations earlier this year.
“In less than two years, we've gone from retrofitting an existing piece of equipment in our proving grounds to building a rugged solution ready to be validated at our customers' sites,” explained Caterpillar Vice President Brian Weller. “This was no small change. Almost everything in the powertrain has been improved while still using proven components from our Cat 793 model. With these changes, we are still learning to work with our customers in real-world applications.”
The next phase of Caterpillar's Early Learner program will see the company try to integrate multiple electrified trucks in one place with remote operators, ensuring integration of the battery electric plane with existing CAT autonomous and fleet management systems.
The Newmont gold mining operation has a long-standing “strategic alliance” with Caterpillar (signed in 2021) aimed at delivering a fully connected, automated, zero carbon, end-to-end mining operation by 2050 while reducing downtime and operating costs. .
Electrek's Take
As I've said before, EVs and mining go together like peanut butter and jelly. In confined spaces, the carbon emissions and ear-splitting noise produced by conventional ICE-powered mining equipment can create hazardous conditions that can lead to serious (or worse) injuries, and that will make it even more difficult for mining operations to keep people working and minerals out of the ground.
By working with companies like Caterpillar to prove that forward-looking electrics can do the job just as well as (if not better than) their internal combustion engine counterparts, Newmont will go a long way toward revolutionizing what's left of the reliable ICE.
SOURCE | PHOTOS: Caterpillar, International Mining.
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