Mining Giants Test Electric Trucks in Australian Desert

BHP and Rio Tinto just hit a major milestone in their quest to clean up mining's carbon footprint, and the results are turning heads across the industry.

The mining giants are testing two massive battery-powered haul trucks at BHP's Jimblebar iron ore mine in Western Australia's remote Pilbara region. After 100 operating hours and 200 test laps, the experiment is working better than expected.

These aren't golf carts. Each Caterpillar truck can haul 240 tonnes of iron ore, matching the payload of traditional diesel models. They run on lithium iron phosphate batteries and 480-kilowatt electric motors, with regenerative braking that captures energy on downhill runs.

The stakes are huge. Diesel-powered haul trucks burn up to 50% of all fuel used in large-scale mining operations, making them one of the industry's biggest sources of direct carbon emissions. Switching to electric could transform mining's environmental impact.

BHP Australia President Geraldine Slattery says the Pilbara's extreme conditions and operational intensity make it the perfect proving ground. If electric trucks can handle the scorching heat and relentless workload here, they can work anywhere.

The trial is testing everything from battery performance across repeated charging cycles to how well the trucks handle real-world mining conditions. Engineers are collecting data on energy consumption, charging infrastructure needs, and whether the technology can scale across massive operations.

The Ripple Effect

This collaboration marks the first time competing mining companies have joined forces to test technology that could benefit the entire industry. By sharing data and resources with Caterpillar, BHP and Rio Tinto are accelerating progress that no single company could achieve alone.

The next phase will test dynamic charging technology that could charge trucks while they're moving, enabling true 24/7 operations. Only seven of these early learner trucks exist globally, with two stationed at Jimblebar.

Success here could ripple across mining operations worldwide, proving that even the most carbon-intensive industries can transition to clean energy without sacrificing productivity. The companies are using the data to evaluate whether battery-electric fleets are commercially viable at the massive scale modern mining demands.

Electric mining trucks could become as common as electric cars, transforming an industry that extracts the materials powering everything from smartphones to solar panels into a cleaner version of itself.