No pit stops: Chinese coal mine makes big upgrade with autonomous electric trucks

In FocusNo pit stops: Chinese coal mine makes big upgrade with autonomous electric trucks The deployment of self-driving vehicles, now past the pilot stage, has improved safety, efficiency and operating costs, mine manager says In north China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, home to the country’s largest coal reserves, a vast open-pit mine cuts deep into the earth, shrouded in clouds of dust. Winters here are long and brutal, with temperatures plunging to as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit). In older, more traditional days, hundreds of truck drivers, bundled in heavy winter gear, had to brave icy roads and the risk of frostbite as they hauled loads through the pit. When dense fog and snow rolled in, visibility could fall so low that drivers had to stop work for fear of a fatal crash. More than a year on, the performance of the 100-vehicle fleet offers a chance to assess how the technology has fared beyond the pilot stage – and whether it can be scaled up further to help upgrade China’s traditional energy sector. “The autonomous electric trucks have helped us cut operating costs, improve safety and increase efficiency,” said Zhao Yaozhong, deputy manager for technology at the mine.