The Problem

Mining companies face a major decarbonisation challenge: large installed fleets of diesel haul trucks still have useful asset life but replacing them outright with new zero-emissions equipment is capital intensive, operationally disruptive and unlikely to happen quickly enough to meet near-term emissions, productivity and safety expectations. Many mines also need practical pathways where new zero-emission trucks can be tested outside production, staged over time and adapted to their specific fleet, duty cycle, infrastructure and operating model.

The Opportunity

The opportunity is to renew the life of existing assets by combining two maturing retrofit technology streams: autonomous control packages and battery-electric drivetrain conversions. Together, these technologies create a practical stack for transforming a representative diesel haul truck into an autonomous, battery-electric platform. Automation can stabilise duty cycles, improve utilisation, reduce exposure to labour availability risks and improve safety, while battery-electric conversion can reduce diesel use, emissions and maintenance intensity. When paired with the right charging strategy, including the potential for wireless or opportunity charging, the concept creates a credible pathway toward lower-emission, higher-utilisation haulage without requiring wholesale fleet replacement from day one.

Mining3 is interested in progressing this opportunity through staged, evidence-based demonstration. A low-disruption approach could begin with the retrofit of one representative truck with an autonomous package and testing in a restricted or non-production environment, followed by battery-electric conversion and evaluation of energy use, range, charging requirements, safety integration and asset-life extension potential. This creates decision-grade evidence for mine operators before committing to broader fleet transformation.

The Benefits

• Provides a lower-risk pathway to decarbonise existing haulage assets rather than relying only on new fleet replacement.

• Improves safety by reducing human exposure to fatigue, traffic interaction and high-risk operating environments.

• Supports more stable and predictable haulage cycles through autonomous operation.

• Improves utilisation by reducing delays associated with shift changes, handovers and manual operating constraints.

• Reduces diesel consumption, emissions and maintenance requirements through battery-electric conversion.

• Creates a staged demonstration pathway that can be tested outside production before broader deployment decisions are made.

• Builds a platform for future charging strategies, including wireless power transfer, opportunity charging or other mine-specific energy infrastructure options.

Call to Action

Mining companies, technology providers, OEMs, energy partners and investors are invited to work with Mining3 on retrofittable autonomous battery-electric haulage. We are looking for partners with suitable trucks, test facilities, mine sites, automation solutions, battery-electric conversion capability, charging technologies or investment interest to help demonstrate a practical pathway for transforming existing fleets. Together, we can generate the evidence needed to de-risk adoption, quantify the value case and accelerate the transition toward safer, cleaner and more productive haulage systems.