Sandvik’s TH665B truck raises the bar for BEVs

Battery electric vehicles are the vehicles of the future in underground mining and Sweden’s Sandvik Group is at the forefront of the movement to phase out diesel-powered loaders and haulage trucks.

Over the past several years, Sandvik has introduced ever larger vehicles – not to mention an extensive offering of battery electric drills – but now the company is raising the bar with the TH665B. It will be capable of hauling 65 tonnes, making it the world’s largest underground battery-powered haulage truck.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) of all sizes offer several advantages over diesel-powered vehicles, which have been the backbone of underground fleets for decades. BEVs are quieter, they generate far less heat and, above all, they are emissions-free, which reduces ventilation requirements and makes for a far healthier environment for workers.

“The number one thing our customers are looking for is health and safety,” says Alex Willows, Sandvik Canada’s business line manager for load and haul products. “We’re also seeing a sustainability push from a lot of the big mining companies.
And their investors are looking at them to drive sustainability.”

For the past several months, Sandvik
has been testing the operational capabilities of the TH665B at its research facility in California. Once those tests are complete, the prototype will be shipped to AngloGold Ashanti’s underground Sunrise Dam mine in western Australia for field tests. A preliminary production run is tentatively scheduled for late 2023 and the vehicles should become commercially available by 2024.

Sandvik is using the frame and cabin of the TH663, a diesel-powered hauler capable of handling 63 tonnes per load, as the platform for its new 65-tonne battery electric truck although the company is making some significant modifications. “We’re using Sandvik’s latest vehicle control system and a new large operational display to make the driving experience the best in class,” Willows says.

An upgraded version of the company’s patented quick swap battery pack, including AutoSwap and AutoConnect functions, will provide the energy necessary to power the TH665B. Similar technology is already in use in its load-haul-dump (LHD) vehicles as well as a 50-tonne, battery powered haul truck.

The life of a battery pack charge is determined by a number of factors such
as the length and grade of the ramps in
any given mine. “We’re expecting customers will be able to get a number of trips or duty cycles out of a single charge,” says Willows. “But the number can vary dramatically as you can imagine if you have a ramp that’s two kilometres versus one that’s seven or eight kilometres.”

Sandvik recommends that users acquire two battery packs per truck, so that one can be charging while the second is in use, allowing any given vehicle to work non-stop, except for the time it takes to quick swap the batteries. The swap can be done in a matter of minutes and without overhead cranes or other installed infrastructure.

A pack can be charged in a little as an hour, but charging as quickly as possible
is not recommended. “If a truck is operating and the battery will last four hours, we recommend that the customer charge the other battery for 3.5 hours,” says Willows. “A slow charge actually helps prolong the life of the battery and reduces the peak electrical draw from the mine’s grid system.”

Battery electric vehicles typically cost more to purchase than their diesel-powered counterparts and the TH665B will be no exception. But more and more buyers are looking at total cost of operation, not just price. On that basis, the lifetime cost of owning a BEV is equal to or slightly less than a diesel vehicle.

Electrics have far fewer moving parts and require far less maintenance, meaning less downtime and more time hauling ore. As well, BEVs can be 30% to 50% faster. “Where a diesel truck goes up a ramp at nine kilometres per hour, we’re seeing 12 kilometres per hour for battery electrics,” Willows says. “When you start doing simulations, it definitely increases productivity.”

The truck’s superior performance is due to Sandvik’s industry-leading drivetrain systems. The TH665B’s drivetrain delivers 640 watts of continuous power and each of the truck’s four wheels are equipped with independent drives. Sandvik’s development of the TH665B positions the company to play a lead role as companies around the world move to emissions-free underground mining.

“It’s an exciting field to be in,” says Willows. “In Canada, mining groups or consultants are all doing battery electric trade-off studies for almost every new mine that’s in development or being looked at.”