Chinese Mine Builds 290 Custom Electric Trucks in 1 Year

When you can't buy the truck you need, sometimes you just have to build it yourself.

Zijin Mining faced a problem at its Wulagen zinc mine in China's Xinjiang province. They wanted to replace their diesel truck fleet with electric vehicles, but no manufacturer made an ultra-class electric haul truck powerful enough for their needs. So they partnered with equipment maker Longking and created their own solution.

The result is the LK220E, a massive 140-ton electric haul truck with a 770 kWh battery pack. That's the world's largest swappable battery, according to Zijin. The battery swaps take just four minutes, meaning the trucks spend more time working and less time sitting idle.

But here's the really impressive part. Zijin didn't just build one or two prototypes. They built 290 of these custom trucks in about a year, and now they make up more than 80% of the mine's transport fleet.

The numbers tell a compelling story. Electric mining trucks cost only 0.177 yuan per tonne kilometer to operate, compared to 0.68 yuan for diesel trucks. That's roughly 74% cheaper. The mine powers its operations using local wind, solar, and battery storage, creating what they call a "zero-carbon transport loop."

Beyond cost savings, the electric trucks have proven safer and more reliable. With fewer complex transmission parts, they break down less often than diesel vehicles. The simpler controls also reduce the risk of operator errors.

Xinjiang Zijin Zinc is one of the largest mining operations in China and the world. The LK220E fleet joins more than 1,700 electric vehicles already deployed across Zijin's mining operations. The company plans to add several hundred more by year's end as they work toward true net zero operations.

The Ripple Effect

This project represents a larger shift happening across global mining. While passenger electric vehicles grab headlines, some of the strongest cases for electrification are in industrial settings. Mines operate trucks around the clock on fixed routes, burning enormous amounts of fuel. Every gallon of diesel eliminated creates immediate, measurable savings.

Those savings proved so substantial that Zijin could justify the research and development costs of designing an entirely new vehicle from scratch. When the financial math works this clearly, innovation follows.

Other mining operations are watching closely. Similar autonomous and electric mining projects are emerging worldwide, from Mongolia to Australia, as companies realize that going electric isn't just good for the environment but makes solid business sense.

Sometimes the best solutions come from asking, "What if we just did it ourselves?"