A fleet of 60 battery-electric dump trucks is now operating autonomously at the Zhibula copper mine in China. Located at an altitude exceeding 5,400 meters, the project is a collaboration between Eacon Mining and Julong Copper, a subsidiary of Zijin Mining. The transition to fully driverless operations was completed by the end of September 2026.
The implementation began in September 2025, initially using safety drivers. Eacon Mining removed the need for human operators within two weeks of testing. By March 2026, 52 trucks were running autonomously, eventually reaching the full fleet size of 60 vehicles. The company claims this is the largest autonomous electric mining fleet in China.
Operating at high altitudes involves challenges such as low oxygen, extreme UV radiation, and freezing conditions. Eacon utilizes sensor fusion and adaptive control to manage these environments. The project has reduced the requirement for on-site drivers by approximately 80 percent and increased daily effective operating time by 16 percent.
The use of electric vehicles is projected to save 12,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. Meanwhile, Zijin Mining is expanding its electrification efforts, having recently introduced the ZL230E model with a 230-tonne payload and 1.6 MW drive power. The group plans to replace its conventional fleet with electric models within three years.
Eacon is also retrofitting 18 conventional NTE240 diesel trucks at the neighboring Julong Copper Mine for autonomous use. The company emphasizes that its control architecture is designed to be manufacturer-independent, allowing for the integration of both new battery-electric units and the conversion of existing diesel-powered mining equipment.
