BATTERY AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES
The HD Hybrids team has installed a patent-pending transmission modification on a new Cat 785 truck and started commissioning in a workshop in Western Australia as part of its hybrid project
Mining at the global and local levels. By bringing together global power technology expertise, local deployment expertise and real-world mining operations, our teams worked side by side to adapt this hybrid electric solution for ultra-class haulage and the high-altitude operating conditions at Caserones.
“ Partnerships like this are essential to accelerating the deployment of practical, scalable decarbonisation solutions.”
Marcelo Maccioni Quezada, Managing Director at Caserones, added:“ We’ re excited about what this pilot represents for Caserones and Lundin Mining. It reflects our focus on implementing solutions that are practical, proven and seamlessly integrated into our existing operation, while supporting a disciplined and scalable pathway to meaningful emissions reductions. This work is central to Lundin Mining’ s approach to driving efficiency, innovation, operational excellence and emissions reduction.” and is integrated into a revised fuel tank / battery assembly that fits inside the mass & volume envelope of a long range tank, Switch Technologies says. This battery will enable testing of the hybrid transmission at up to 900 kW in both drive and regenerative braking modes.
The truck will be trialled at a Pilbara mine site later this year where the system will undergo real-world trials to measure diesel savings, emissions reductions and productivity impacts.
In addition to the retrofit hardware, the team has built a physics-based simulation tool. It takes haul cycle data and calculates the potential return on investment for the hybrid retrofit at a specific mine site, allowing operators to evaluate the suitability of the hybrid retrofit for their mines. Mike O’ Hanlon, Managing Director of Switch Technologies, points out that the hybrid retrofit is not optimal for every mine site, however the numbers get attractive if operating a pit that is approximately 100 m deep, or deeper.
This project focuses on a practical, lowercapital, 80:20 rule approach to capturing the benefits of heavy vehicle electrification, Switch Technologies explains.
It added:“ The power and energy requirements of a hybrid haul truck retrofit is a natural match for the characteristics of Echion’ s XNO chemistry – simplistically characterised as bringing together LTO( lithium titanate) power density and LFP( lithium iron phosphate) energy density.”
This project follows Switch Technologies’ earlier work with Echion on a hybrid Toyota Land Cruiser demonstration, which proved XNO’ s capabilities in demanding, highpower applications. Switch Technologies concluded:“ The Cat 785 hybrid will deliver the same technical benefits in commercially meaningful and scalable applications: meaningful diesel reduction through energy recovery on descents and loaded hauls, while maintaining – and in many cases improving – the productivity of the base truck.”
Taking the XNO route
Benjamin Ting, Chief Commercial Officer of Echion, views this trial and others the company is pursuing as an opportunity to make a case for the niobium-based chemistry that is embedded into the XNO battery pack.
“ The phrases‘ power agnostic’, or‘ energy platform agnostic’ are increasingly being
The 80:20 rule
HD Hybrids, a subsidiary of Switch Technologies, announced the trial of its hybrid retrofit for a Caterpillar 785 haul truck at The Electric Mine in 2025.
Since the announcement, the team has installed the patent-pending transmission modification on a new Cat 785 truck and started commissioning in a workshop in Western Australia.
This month, the project will receive the first-generation 90 kWh XNO ® battery pack from Echion Technologies. This battery supports 10C charge and discharge rates
Lithium-ion batteries designed with Echion XNO anode materials achieve a unique combination of high safety, extreme fast-charge and discharge capability, and very long cycle-life, according to the company
International Mining | APRIL 2025