XCMG XDE260 trucks for Exxaro Grootegeluk: fleet and power haulage notes for planners
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
Exxaro Resources has signed a strategic agreement with China’s XCMG to supply seven XDE260 diesel-electric haul trucks, each with a 220 t payload, for the Grootegeluk open-pit coal mine in Lephalale, South Africa. The high-capacity trucks will be deployed to support production at Exxaro’s flagship operation, which feeds Eskom’s Matimba and Medupi power stations and already runs one of the country’s largest truck-and-shovel fleets. For mine planners and maintenance teams, the deal signals further standardisation around ultra-class diesel-electric units and associated high-voltage support infrastructure.
Technical Brief
- Fleet integration will require operator training on electric drive behaviour, retardation control and energy management.
- Electrical systems and traction components introduce different failure modes and condition-monitoring requirements versus mechanical-drive trucks.
Our Take
XCMG’s supply of 220 t-payload XDE260 trucks to Exxaro at Grootegeluk comes as our database shows XCMG simultaneously pushing into ultra-class battery-electric iron ore fleets with Fortescue, signalling that coal operators may gain future access to lower-emission variants once those prototypes mature.
Recent coverage of XCMG haulage in Brazil (XDE130) and India indicates the OEM is building a track record in emerging markets’ large open pits, so deployment at a major South African coal operation strengthens its position against established truck suppliers in high-volume strip mines.
Coal is a relatively small subset within our 74 keyword-matched pieces, and most recent XCMG items are tied to iron ore and decarbonisation themes, which suggests Exxaro’s Grootegeluk fleet choice is driven more by cost and payload-class competition than by alignment with XCMG’s zero-emission development work.
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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