China officially operates the world's largest fleet of self-driving trucks.
China has just marked a new milestone in the global technology race by officially operating the world's largest fleet of self-driving trucks, a step in its strategy to modernize traditional industries with artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technologies.
Huaneng Group, one of China's leading state-owned energy companies, has officially deployed the world's largest fleet of unmanned electric mining trucks in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
The fleet of 100 vehicles, equipped with autonomous driving systems developed by Huawei Technologies, reflects China's significant progress in applying autonomous technology to heavy industries.
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According to Li Shuxue, Chairman of Huaneng Mengdong, a subsidiary of Huaneng Group, the trucks named "Huaneng Ruichi" represent the largest global deployment in the field of self-driving electric mining trucks.
He emphasized that this is a significant milestone in China's journey of "digital transformation and modernization of traditional industries."
The control system of this fleet integrates a range of advanced technologies such as 5G-Advanced technology, AI, cloud computing, high-precision mapping, and smart battery swapping technology, allowing the vehicles to quickly change batteries without waiting for charging.
The project is a collaboration between several entities, including Huaneng Group, Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG), and Beijing University of Science and Technology.
These self-driving trucks are designed to operate fully automatically at the Yimin coal mine in Hulunbuir city (Northeast Inner Mongolia), including loading and unloading mined materials and moving in harsh weather conditions.
According to Li Shuxue, these vehicles can improve overall transportation efficiency by up to 20% compared to vehicles with drivers.
Zhang Pingan, CEO of Huawei Cloud, stated that 5.5G technology plays a crucial role in enhancing the real-time responsiveness and accuracy of autonomous vehicles. With download speeds of up to 10Gbps and upload speeds of 1Gbps, 5.5G expands the limits of wireless connectivity in harsh industrial environments.
According to Jack Chen, Vice President of Marketing and Solutions for the Oil and Gas and Mining Industry at Huawei, the Huaneng Ruichi fleet embodies Huawei's vision of "smart mining."
He stated that this technology is not only intended for the domestic market but also has the potential to be deployed in resource-rich markets such as Africa and Latin America.
The current fleet is just the beginning of a plan to deploy a total of 300 self-driving trucks at the Yimin mine within the next three years. According to the China National Coal Association, by the end of 2025, the country is expected to have more than 5,000 automated mining trucks in operation, and this number could double to 10,000 by 2026.
China is currently the world's largest coal producer, operating approximately 4,300 mines. The rapid adoption of advanced technologies such as AI, autonomous driving, and 5.5G is significantly contributing to reduced operating costs, estimated at around 8% compared to traditional models, while simultaneously improving efficiency and safety in hazardous mining environments.