MINING ENGINES
bring related fault codes, predictive insights and sensor signals together into a single issue, helping maintenance teams more quickly understand the underlying condition, its operational impact and the recommended action, according to the company. Issues will be prioritised and tracked through resolution to reduce alert noise and support more focused maintenance planning.
Twenty-twenty-six marks a critical year for Cummins’ hybrid haulage solution too. A successful pilot program is already underway at the Caserones copper and molybdenum mine in Atacama Region of Chile, which is deploying the world’ s first commercial hybrid electric ultra-class mining truck in production, Cummins claimed.
This pilot program is intended to validate performance, durability and energy recovery under real operating conditions while informing commercial hybrid solutions designed to achieve up to 30 % reductions in fuel use and emissions. These hybrid solutions are designed to deliver measurable efficiency and productivity gains today, while supporting customers’ longer-term emissions goals. Additional near-term pilots are planned across the Americas, leading to the next generation of product release in early 2027, with a target of delivering up to 1 MW of supplemental power to the drivetrain to help enable faster cycle times and reduce diesel consumption, depending on application and operating conditions.
Cummins’ hybrid-electric retrofit platform, powered by First Mode technology, combines battery-electric power with the existing diesel drivetrain to capture and reuse energy throughout the haul cycle. The kit provides additional power during high-demand segments, such as climbs, while improving overall energy use and productivity for ultra-class mining haul trucks. The retrofit system integrates with existing truck platforms and mine infrastructure, allowing operations to adopt hybrid capability without significant changes to fleet configuration or site power systems, Cummins said.
Hybrid systems support longer equipment life through multiple mechanisms, from reducing engine load and limiting stress on braking systems to improved component longevity and reduced maintenance demands across the haul fleet.
Cummins’ plans also extend to development of a new clean-sheet engine platform designed primarily for 90-120 ton( 82-109 t) haul trucks and 150-220 ton( 136-200 t) excavators. This engine, which is already undergoing field testing, has planned applicability across a wider range of mining and industrial equipment, including surface miners, dozers, wheel loaders and dewatering pumps. The platform represents the company’ s next step in advancing high-horsepower engine technology for key mining applications, it said, adding that more details would be available later this month.
Size for power, not for energy
Further evidence of the demand for hybrid solutions comes from Australia.
Echion Technologies, which has developed the XNO ® niobium-based anode material for lithium-ion batteries, has been promoting the hybridisation shift to several surface mining companies, and has received significant interest from the sector, according to Ben Ting, Chief Commercial Officer at Echion.
“ When I look at the current generation pack we have on offer, we have significant interest from the market,” he told IM.“ There is now a pull, where once we were just pushing.
“ Mike will be pleased to know he is first in line for the XNO packs that come off the production line, but there’ s a lot of people kicking down the door for these.”
The Mike referenced here is Mike O’ Hanlon, Managing Director of Australiabased Switch Technologies, who has been in constant conversation with Ting over the last few years.
Echion and Switch previously teamed up on a project to convert a Toyota Land Cruiser 79 Series vehicle into a plug-in hybrid configuration with a 24 kWh XNO battery as a mining light vehicle demonstrator, which has since spurred further collaboration. While there are plenty of projects featuring the pair’ s involvement, the work at the Pilgangoora operation in Western Australia has been the subject of much conversation lately.
Announced at The Electric Mine 2025, in Santiago, Chile, the project, being steered through the HD Hybrids subsidiary set up by Switch, has seen Switch and an HME rebuilder take the existing transmission out of a truck – a new Cat 785 Water Cart in this case – remove the transfer case off the front of this transmission, bolt in a modified
The hybrid water truck operating at PLS’ Pilgangoora operation, which is fitted with a 90-kWh, 1 MW-capable battery pack powered by Echion’ s XNO battery chemistry, has displayed increased speed on grade compared with the diesel-powered baseline
56 International Mining | OCTOBER 2026