Yutong reports successful operation of 100-strong battery electric truck fleet at Baoqing Chaoyang coal mine
China’s dual carbon strategy includes moving domestic mining operations – including coal mines – towards lower-carbon, higher efficiency operations. Baoqing Chaoyang open-pit coal mine is located in Shuangyashan, Heilongjiang Province in northeast China. The region has a harsh climate and complex working conditions, but the mining area boasts over 800 Mt of proven lignite reserves, making it a crucial energy production base in the region.
Facing multiple challenges such as extreme cold and low temperatures, soft rock geology, frequent rain, snow, and muddy conditions, as well as stringent regional standards for green mine construction, in 2025, the mine deployed over 100 Yutong 100 t class YTK145E large-tonnage battery electric mining trucks.
Yutong says the mining and operation of open-pit coal mines in northeast China has always been recognised as a “tough battle” in the industry. Traditional diesel fuel-powered mining trucks have had seen high energy consumption, frequent failures, plus high operation and maintenance costs, which contradict green mine construction standards. In contrast, conventional small-capacity pure electric mining trucks have suffered from reduced range and frequent charging under the freezing conditions, struggling with heavy loads, long slopes, plus muddy and complex road conditions, directly lowering overall operational efficiency.
The mine operator, Heilongjiang Shuangyashan Baoqing Chaoyang chose a long-term development strategy, involving careful selection of mining transportation equipment that can handle the extreme cold and complex conditions, with stable performance combined with mature technology and having rigorous standards. The mine opted for the Yutong YTK145E trucks, making this project the one with the largest new energy fleet and highest per truck tonnage for battery equipment in the region, comprehensively promoting the electrification upgrade of transportation in that part of China.
Baoqing Chaoyang coal mine in Shuangyashan
Yutong’s battery electric mining trucks have a reputation for being among the highest quality available and most robust on the market. They utilise Yutong’s independently developed integrated coaxial dual-drive motor, with an efficiency of >98%; an independently developed highly integrated dual control system with fewer high-voltage nodes and low failure rate; plus third-generation long-life batteries, using BC5 cells, PACK structure, and a thermal management system.
Battery life is increased by 50%, with 4,500 charge/discharge cycles; plus a 24-hour monitoring and early warning system, vastly reducing battery safety risks.
The mining area manager states: “Someone asked me, in the northeast coal market, where does the confidence come from to decide on over a hundred pure electric mining trucks at once? First is word-of-mouth verification. In some mines in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, Yutong mining trucks have been tested in extreme cold conditions as low as minus 30 to 40 degrees Celsius and have a very good reputation. Next is the tough battle test. Baoqing, this open-pit coal mine, with its three major aquifers and soft rock geology that freezes in winter and turns soft in summer, is a tough battle for any mining truck. We needed to find a truck that could withstand this.”
Shuangyashan Baoqing Chaoyang mine experiences harsh climate year-round, with rain and snow lasting over 40 days and temperatures below -20°C lasting three and a half months. The transportation routes in the mining area are complex: in winter, the road surface is hard and slippery; in summer, the unloading site is muddy and uneven. The 4 to 10 km transport route, combined with an average of 5% heavy load ramps, puts the truck’s power, endurance, and stability to an extreme test.
Yutong says the fleet of high-capacity pure electric mining trucks have so far delivered impressive operational data, fully demonstrating their robust capabilities. The vehicle is equipped with its Tongtu mining truck electric platform, equipped with mine-specific batteries and four-gun fast charging technology, significantly improving charging efficiency and effectively shortening the vehicle’s waiting time for charging. The vehicle relies on a mature and reliable core electric system, paired with an intelligent thermal management system and an enhanced energy recovery system. Overall energy consumption is continuously optimised, delivering stable and ample power output, maintaining strength of power when driving loaded on long slopes.
At the mine when the road surface conditions are good in winter, a single vehicle can complete 32 transport trips per day; Despite the complex scenario of muddy and heavy loads in summer, it can still maintain a daily average of 20 trips, continuously improving overall transport efficiency in the mining area. The comprehensive vehicle availability has stabilised at 96%. After excluding rain and snow shutdown periods, the fleet operates effectively for over 310 days a year, ensuring continuous production and Yutong says effectively addressing the pain points of frequent breakdowns and frequent shutdowns for traditional fuel-powered vehicles.
The use of a preventive maintenance strategy has also meant that sudden vehicle downtime failures have been significantly reduced. New standardised maintenance procedures regulate full-process operations and eliminate hidden dangers in the vehicle operation in advance. Efficient and stable operations also rely on digital intelligent management and control support. To meet the needs of large-scale operations, Yutong’s Anruitong intelligent management platform runs through the entire vehicle operation cycle, completing intelligent inspections before departure, real-time dynamic supervision during operations, and data reviews after shifts. The platform integrates multi-dimensional management modules for vehicles, charging, dispatching, and safety, and also offers practical functions such as intelligent scheduling and remote battery preheating, comprehensively improving the overall operational management efficiency at the mine.
At the same time, this large-scale project with over a hundred units not only brings economies of scale in terms of cost reduction, efficiency improvement, and carbon reduction to Baoqing coal mine, and establishes a mature, replicable cold-region electrification solution and strategy for the entire coal mining area in northeast China; In the future, Yutong believes this benchmark case will play a demonstrative and leading role, accelerating the shift from single-site projects to industry-wide adoption of the green intelligent mining model.
The post Yutong reports successful operation of 100-strong battery electric truck fleet at Baoqing Chaoyang coal mine appeared first on International Mining.