North China Yimin Mine deploys world's first fleet of 100 autonomous, all-electric trucks
(June 2025) The global mining industry entered a transformative new phase in May 2025 when China Huaneng Group commissioned the world's first fleet of 100 autonomous, all-electric mining trucks at the Yimin open-pit mine in Inner Mongolia.
This spectacular video highlights Yimin's mine extreme conditions and the contributions made by the driverless vehicles.
The autonomous electric “Huaneng Ruichi” trucks are revolutionary. Mining is a dangerous activity that is often conducted in extreme conditions. The vehicles can withstand the extreme cold, dust, and storms often prevailing at Inner Mongolia's mines. For instance, temperatures at the Yimin site can plunge to -48.5°C in winter, with frequent dust storms, fog, and muddy conditions creating visibility and mobility challenges. Obviously, such conditions have exposed human drivers to serious peril in the past.
The fleet features advanced AI perception systems that maintain 40-meter visibility even in complete darkness or sandstorms. They are fitted with radars and cameras providing 360-degree vision to the AI piloting the machines. Moreover, they feature specialized anti-sinking controls that prevent immobilization on soft ground. The AI that pilots them can also gather road condition data and alert maintenance crews when repairs are needed.
The trucks can back up precisely to the edge of a pit for unloading. The vehicles now deliver higher movement precision than humans have typically delivered.
The all-electric trucks each are powered by a 568 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery that deliver exceptional energy efficiency of just 0.2 kWh per kilometer per cubic meter, even in extreme cold. Automated battery swapping stations enable the trucks to return quickly to work instead of having to idle during recharging. Each battery swap is performed in mere minutes.
Coal remains an important source of power in China even as the country is a leader in electricity from renewables. In 2024, China accounted for over half of global coal production, with nearly 500 million metric tons extracted. Despite its rapid ramping up of green power, it will take years for China to significantly reduce its consumption of coal. During that time, mining should be made safer and greener.
A fully-automated battery swapping station sends the trucks back to work in a matter of minutes when their power is low.
The selection of Inner Mongolia's Yimin Mine as the demonstration site for the fleet of automated trucks was no accident. As China's top coal-producing region, Inner Mongolia holds proven reserves of over 725 billion metric tons and accounted for about a quarter of China’s total output in 2024. The region has become a testing ground for mining innovation, with 70% of operational mines already using smart technologies and more than 200 “smart” mines—nearly half of China's total. The Yimin Mine itself, the country's second-largest open-pit operation with annual production capacity of 35 million metric tons, presented the perfect combination of scale and challenging conditions to prove the new technology.
An automated truck convoy.
The supporting 5G-A network infrastructure developed by Huawei and China Mobile is crucial to the truck solution. Maintaining reliable connectivity across the vast, uneven mining terrain was essential in managing over 100 driverless vehicles. Site coverage harnesses 3CC (Three-Component Carrier) technology, which provides 500 Mbps uplink speeds with just 20-millisecond latency across 500–600 meter coverage zones. This enables real-time 8K video transmission, remote vehicle control, and seamless fleet coordination around the clock.
Getting to 100 fully-automated trucks required consistent efforts. Initial trials began in 2020 with retrofitted diesel trucks, progressing to China's first autonomous open-pit mining operations in 2022 after the mine was fully covered by 5G. Early testing showed promising results, with autonomous operations reaching 87% of human driver efficiency. Continuous refinement improved performance to 120% of human productivity by 2024, leading to the deployment of nine all-electric trucks that successfully moved 1.3 million cubic meters of earth, before the full 100-vehicle fleet was launched.
A technician adjusts truck settings
This achievement represents more than just technical capability—it demonstrates a viable new model for sustainable mining operations. By eliminating diesel emissions, removing workers from hazardous environments, and optimizing operations through AI and 5G connectivity, the Yimin project addresses multiple challenges simultaneously.
Watch the video below to learn more about the mine and automated truck solution.
