Caterpillar has successfully demonstrated its first battery electric prototype underground mining truck, growing its portfolio of battery electric and semi-autonomous technology for underground mining. The successful demo comes on the heels of the 793 battery electric prototype surface mining truck, which was unveiled in November of 2022.
Caterpillar developed its first battery electric prototype underground mining truck with customer input and support from Newmont Corporation. The companies are collaborating to achieve Newmont’s vision of a fully connected, automated, zero carbon emitting, end-to-end mining system.
The battery electric truck will complete Caterpillar’s first fully electric underground load and haul solution when paired with the commercially available R1700 XE battery electric loader.
Caterpillar also demonstrated its growing autonomy and automation capabilities, addressing some of the key safety challenges faced by underground mining customers, like the risk of collision when moving heavy machinery through dark, cramped spaces.
“We are building on our foundation of industry-leading autonomous solutions for surface operations, along with our deep experience in underground technology, to provide significant improvement in both productivity and safety for underground mining customers,” Johnson said.
