The future of mining: how China is upgrading traditional industry with driverless EVs

In Inner Mongolia, a convoy of haul trucks rumbles across the dusty, jagged terrain of the Yimin open-pit coal mine. It is a familiar scene in this part of northern China, home to some of the country’s biggest mineral deposits, but a closer look reveals a futuristic twist to this age-old trade: the vehicles operate without drivers.

Yimin is one of the five largest open-cast coal mines in China. During peak season, it used to require about 300 trucks, operated by around 1,200 drivers working shifts around the clock, to transport coal to processing sites, and soil, sand and rocks to dumping grounds.

But managers said the mine faced a shortage of drivers. Dangerous driving conditions led to high attrition rates, compounded by declining interest among younger generations in pursuing this profession. “Truck drivers face exhausting workloads that often lead to health issues,” said Yimin mine director Shu Yinqiu.

The solution came earlier this year with a fleet of 100 photovoltaic-battery-powered, self-driving trucks. They represent the world’s largest deployment of autonomous electric mining trucks, highlighting China’s resolve to upgrade its traditional industries with advanced technologies, as the nation grapples with a shrinking labour force and an ageing population.