World's Largest Autonomous Electric Mining Fleet Hits 120 Percent Productivity After Nearly a Year at China's Yimin Coal Mine
A fleet of 100 autonomous electric trucks at China's Yimin coal mine has exceeded productivity benchmarks by 20 percent after nearly a year, replacing 300 diesel trucks and 1,200 drivers.
A Full-Scale Autonomous Fleet in Operation
One hundred autonomous, all-electric haul trucks have been operating continuously at the Yimin open-pit coal mine in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, since their deployment in May 2025. Nearly a year into operations, the fleet has logged thousands of hours and moved millions of tons of material, reaching 120 percent of the productivity benchmark set by the diesel-powered, human-driven trucks they replaced, according to Electrek.
The deployment, operated by Huaneng Mengdong, a subsidiary of state-owned Huaneng Group, represents what Chairman Li Shuxue described as “the world’s largest single deployment” of autonomous electric mining trucks, a milestone in “transforming and digitising traditional industries,” as reported by the South China Morning Post.
How the Trucks Work
The Huaneng Ruichi trucks are built around swappable 568-kilowatt-hour lithium iron phosphate battery packs, with each truck capable of hauling up to 90 tons per load. The battery swap process takes approximately five minutes per truck at an operational success rate exceeding 98 percent, according to Yimin Senior Advisor Tang Wensheng, as quoted by Electrek.
The autonomous driving system relies on Huawei’s 5G-Advanced network, which provides downlink speeds of 10 gigabits per second and 1 Gbps uplink, enabling the real-time communication required for coordinated fleet operations. The technology stack integrates AI decision-making, cloud computing, smart battery swapping, and high-accuracy mapping to allow the trucks to load, transport, and unload mining material without human intervention, including in harsh weather conditions, according to the South China Morning Post.
Li Shuxue said the fleet has “set three new records for autonomous electric mining trucks,” including the largest payload, fastest running speed, and lowest operating temperature, per Electrek.
Workforce and Efficiency Impact
The scale of the transformation is significant. Before the autonomous fleet’s arrival, the Yimin mine required approximately 300 trucks and 1,200 drivers to maintain 24/7 operations, according to Electrek. The 100-truck autonomous fleet has eliminated the need for driver personnel entirely while exceeding the output of the previous configuration. The trucks operate around the clock without shift changes, breaks, or the safety risks associated with human operators in hazardous mine environments.
Transport efficiency has improved by 20 percent compared to manned trucks, the South China Morning Post reported. The switch from diesel to electric power also contributes to the broader coal industry’s push to reduce operational costs, which have fallen by an estimated 8 percent through technology adoption across China’s approximately 4,300 active mines.
Expansion Plans and National Context
The 100-truck fleet is the first phase of a three-year expansion plan that aims to deploy 300 autonomous trucks at the Yimin mine by 2028, as announced in the original PR Newswire release.
The initiative is a joint effort between Huaneng Group, Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group, Beijing University of Science and Technology, and State Grid Smart Internet of Vehicles Co. Ltd. The collaboration spans vehicle manufacturing, autonomous driving technology, battery infrastructure, and academic research.
China’s national trajectory for mining automation is accelerating. National projections cited by the South China Morning Post anticipated more than 5,000 automated mining trucks operating across the country by the end of 2025, with that number expected to reach 10,000 by 2026.
Global Implications
The Yimin deployment offers a concrete benchmark for what fully autonomous electric mining operations look like at commercial scale. While autonomous haulage systems from companies like Caterpillar and Komatsu have been deployed in mines across Australia, Chile, and North America, the Yimin fleet is notable for combining full autonomy with all-electric powertrains and rapid battery swapping at a fleet size of 100 trucks.
The project also highlights the convergence of 5G telecommunications infrastructure and industrial autonomy. Huawei’s role as the communications backbone for the fleet positions the company’s 5G-Advanced technology as a critical enabler for industrial applications beyond consumer connectivity.
With global demand for critical minerals projected to rise sharply in the coming decades, and with more than half of the U.S. mining workforce expected to retire by 2029, autonomous mining technology is increasingly seen as essential rather than optional. The Yimin mine’s near-year of operational data provides one of the most comprehensive real-world case studies to date.