Electric Scania Haulers Arrive at Malmberget Mine
On August 27 at 11:27, news broke touting the deployment of two Scania electric trucks at the Malmberget iron ore mine. These 120-ton machines now hold the record as the world's largest heavy-duty vehicles built for underground extraction. Their operating depth reaches an extraordinary 1,250 meters, showcasing their specialized capabilities in mining environments.
Each electric tractor packs a 624-kWh battery, giving it up to 7 hours of nonstop operation. In that time, it can complete roughly 45 haul cycles and move about 3,200 tons of material per shift. During trials, the trucks logged around 1,500 journeys and carried more than 100,000 tons of rock. A high-speed 375-kW charger replenishes the batteries in 80 minutes, making the system highly efficient.
Company Roadmap and Environmental Impact
The company behind the project aims to electrify 30% of its mining fleet by 2027, which would allow it to move over 5 million tons of ore annually with zero exhaust emissions. Per Sundkvist, a company representative, explained:
"We may have built the world's heaviest underground battery-powered truck, but that's only the start—we're now designing even larger and more intelligent machines." — Per Sundkvist
Malmberget's daily output exceeds 50,000 tons, a scale that underscores the workload handled by these new electric haulers. Separately, the company is preparing a second electric dump truck, called Sleipner, for nonstop testing. Based on the Scania 8x4 platform, it weighs 60 tons and runs on a 416-kWh battery.
Deploying such technology signals a push to cut environmental impact and boost mining productivity. Electrifying haulage in mineral extraction could be a major step toward greener practices in the industry, with reduced emissions and improved operational efficiency aligning with modern sustainability targets. That shift may also draw investment into clean technology and local mining infrastructure.