Zoomlion’s wide-body battery trolley trucks: design notes for mine planners
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
Zoomlion is developing a wide-body battery trolley haul truck option that builds on the recent resurgence of trolley-assist systems at large open pits such as Collahuasi and Los Pelambres, which currently rely on diesel-electric trucks. The concept targets battery-electric trucks drawing power from overhead catenary on uphill hauls, using on-board batteries for off-trolley sections to cut diesel use and ramp emissions. For mine planners, this points to future pit designs and ramp geometries explicitly optimised for mixed catenary–battery operation rather than pure diesel haulage.
Technical Brief
- Design is intended to be compatible with current diesel trolley infrastructure while enabling later transition to full battery operation.
Our Take
Zoomlion already features in our coverage for deploying 40 ZT160HEV hybrid autonomous haul trucks at a coal mine in Xinjiang, so a battery trolley option signals the company is building a full spectrum of low‑emission haul solutions rather than a single flagship product.
Collahuasi and Los Pelambres are among the Chilean copper operations highlighted in our database for major 2026‑targeted expansion and life‑extension work, so introducing trolley‑battery haulage there would likely be evaluated not just for carbon reduction but for how it supports higher throughput on constrained pit ramps.
With Collahuasi’s recent performance issues noted in our coverage and copper prices elevated, any adoption of Zoomlion’s wide‑body battery trolley trucks at that mine would be as much about stabilising unit costs and productivity as it is about meeting sustainability targets.
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.
Related Articles
Related Industries & Products
Mining
Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.
Construction
Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.
CMRR-io
Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.
HYDROGEO-io
Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.
GEODB-io
Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.