The world's first electric mining truck powered by a sodium-ion battery has begun operations at the Tangshan Sanyu coal mine in China, reports infohub.kz.
The vehicle was developed by Hina Battery and Tonly Heavy Industry, based on the TLE120 dump truck equipped with a Haixing-series sodium-ion battery with a capacity of 676 kWh. According to the developers, it supports ultra-fast charging: the battery can be charged from 0 to 100% in just 20–25 minutes.
Another advantage of the technology is durability. Even with constant fast charging, the battery is rated for more than 8,000 cycles, which is comparable to the service life of the truck itself.
The key difference between sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries is their resistance to frost. They lose less capacity at low temperatures, making them better suited for open-pit mining in northern regions.
Additionally, the electric truck produces no harmful emissions and operates noticeably quieter than diesel-powered equipment. It will now undergo real-world testing to evaluate the efficiency of the new technology.
Why Sodium Isn't Replacing Lithium Yet
Despite the successful launch, it's too early to talk about a mass transition to sodium-ion batteries. Their energy density still lags behind modern lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. For comparison, last year's version of the same truck had a battery capacity of 801 kWh, compared to 676 kWh for the new model.
However, thanks to cheaper raw materials, high durability, and stable performance in cold weather, such batteries could find use in commercial and special-purpose vehicles where range is not a critical factor.
Earlier, Kursiv Avto reported that Kazakhstan showcased a new KamAZ dump truck with a locally produced body.