MedaTech, ABB partner for ultra-fast charging of mining battery-electric vehicles

With battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), mine operators are concerned that heavy workload electrified vehicles such as loaders and haul trucks will spend too much time charging to make them a viable alternative to diesel, especially in a 24-hour work schedule.

A new prototype ultra-fast charging solution for heavy-duty applications changes all that. Automated charging delivers a massive 600 kW of power thanks to two highly advanced components: MedaTech’s ALTDRIVE battery-electric powertrain solution, complete with fast-charging receiver and ABB’s Ability eMine FastCharge, the world’s fastest and only fully automated charging system for mining trucks.

ABB developed an integrated charging infrastructure, with the latest charger technology and a future-proof automated connection device, while MedaTech created a battery-electric powertrain that includes a charge-reception system that can be integrated into any heavy-duty vehicle. Together with MedaTech’s complete AltDrive BEV system, ABB’s ultra-fast charging forms a complete EV package that moves away from diesel.

This ultra-fast charging solution is designed for the harshest environment with flexibility and fully automated charging for minimum downtime.

Charging occurs with no help from machine operators. Drivers station their vehicles next to the charger, and ABB Ability eMineFastCharge does the rest. When the system senses that a vehicle is near, it moves the connection pin into position and inserts it into the receptacle, which makes charging fully automatic.

MedaTech has developed electric vehicle fleet optimization software called EV-FOS to optimize battery-electric vehicle energy usage for new and existing mines. It is as useful for mine development as it is for production, clearly showing the effectiveness of BEVs compared to diesel in all mines, as well as optimal BEV type, battery size and charging infrastructure. Miners can get dollars per tonne by the level, by the year, for fast charging, for battery swapping, and for diesel—for all mining operations.

MedaTech has produced a video of dump truck BEV going head-to-head with a comparable diesel-powered truck. Also visit www.MedaTech.ca.