China launches world's first fleet of driverless mining trucks

Unmanned mining trucks loaded with stripped soil and rock make their way to the dumping site at the Yimin coal mine, Hulun Buir, north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, May 15, 2025. (China News Service/Liu Wenhua)

China on Thursday deployed the world's largest fleet of driverless electric mining trucks without driver's cabins in Inner Mongolia. The fleet consists of 100 vehicles equipped with autonomous driving technology.

These vehicles are equipped with a 564 564-kilowatt-hour lithium iron phosphate battery pack. When fully charged, they can carry 90 metric tons of goods and travel about 60 kilometers.

Unmanned mining trucks loaded with stripped soil and rock make their way to the dumping site at the Yimin coal mine, Hulun Buir, north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, May 15, 2025. (China News Service/Liu Wenhua)

Unmanned mining trucks loaded with stripped soil and rock make their way to the dumping site at the Yimin coal mine, Hulun Buir, north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, May 15, 2025. (China News Service/Liu Wenhua)

Unmanned mining trucks loaded with stripped soil and rock make their way to the dumping site at the Yimin coal mine, Hulun Buir, north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, May 15, 2025. (China News Service/Liu Wenhua)

Unmanned mining trucks loaded with stripped soil and rock make their way to the dumping site at the Yimin coal mine, Hulun Buir, north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, May 15, 2025. (China News Service/Liu Wenhua)