BHP and Rio Tinto Pilbara electric truck trials: pit design notes for engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

First reported on Australian Mining
30 Second Briefing
BHP and Rio Tinto have begun large‑scale trials of Caterpillar 793 XE “Early Learner” battery‑electric haul trucks in Western Australia’s Pilbara iron ore operations, marking the first deployment of this class of BEV truck in the region. The trials will test truck performance on long, high‑temperature haul profiles typical of Pilbara pits, including payload, cycle times and battery endurance under >40°C ambient conditions. Outcomes will directly influence future pit design, power infrastructure sizing and trolley or static fast‑charging layouts for ultra‑class fleets.
Technical Brief
- Trials are integrated into existing ultra‑class truck fleets, requiring mixed‑fleet dispatch and maintenance coordination.
- Test work includes evaluating regenerative braking energy recovery on long downhill hauls typical of Pilbara orebodies.
- Battery performance is being assessed under continuous dust exposure and vibration from rigid‑frame haul trucks on unsealed roads.
- Data from trials will inform substation locations, high‑voltage reticulation routes and required redundancy for pit power.
- OEM, miner and grid operator collaboration is needed to match truck charging profiles with regional power system constraints.
- Learnings are expected to influence future tender specifications for haulage fleets across other Australian iron ore hubs.
Our Take
The joint BHP–Rio Tinto Pilbara trials sit alongside their appearance together in recent Argentina copper coverage, signalling that the two majors are increasingly aligned on long-horizon decarbonisation and growth options rather than just competing in iron ore.
Our database shows relatively few Pilbara items tagged under Sustainability compared with pure production or expansion stories, so large-scale electric haulage tests here are likely to become a reference case for other Australian iron ore operators considering fleet transition.
The related Jimblebar coverage indicates these Pilbara tests use Caterpillar’s Early Learner 793 XE platform, which suggests BHP and Rio Tinto are trying to influence OEM design choices early, potentially locking in Pilbara-specific duty cycles and charging strategies as de facto standards for heavy BEVs in Australia.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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