On August 10, 2026, in the city of Longyan, Fujian province, an event occurred that could change the landscape of heavy industrial machinery in Asia and the world. The Chinese company Zijin Longking (part of the Zijin Mining Group) officially presented and rolled off the assembly line the ZL230E model. This is the first fully electric mining dump truck in China with a record payload capacity of 230 tons. The machine, whose gross vehicle weight reaches an impressive 350 tons, is designed to replace outdated diesel giants at the largest open-pit mines.
Technological Breakthrough: Architecture and Power
Engineers at Zijin Longking approached the creation of the ZL230E taking into account the harsh operating conditions in mines, where equipment works under continuous load. The 350-ton monster is driven by two powerful electric motors with a total power of 1.6 MW (about 2,175 hp). A key feature of the design is a multi-axle scheme with a centrally distributed independent drive. Intelligent electronics regulate the transmission of torque to the driving axles in real time, which allows maintaining high traction on long climbs and significantly improves the maneuverability of the machine in the aggressive environment of the mine.
Energy System and Charging
The heart of the new dump truck is a battery with a colossal capacity — about 1400 kWh. For comparison, this is 15–20 times more than a typical modern electric car. To ensure the continuous operation of the giant, engineers developed an ultra-fast charging system. According to the stated specifications, charging the battery from 10% to 90% takes only 25 minutes. This requires energy transfer of about 2.7 MW, making the ZL230E one of the most energy-intensive vehicles in the world.
Safety and Autonomy
Working with such masses requires an unprecedented level of reliability. The dump truck received a reinforced patented frame, as well as duplicated chassis control systems. The braking and steering systems are equipped with multi-level redundancy, which is critical for safety on rough terrain. In addition, the ZL230E can operate in a fully autonomous mode. To implement this function, the company is cooperating with the Australian startup EACON, whose machine vision and control platform allows automating complex logistics processes at mines.
Context of Global Competition
The launch of the ZL230E comes against the backdrop of an active arms race in the segment of "green" mining equipment. China's competitor is the famous Belarusian manufacturer BELAZ. In 2024, the company presented the BELAZ-7513E model with a payload capacity of 120 tons and a 1.5 MWh battery. In 2025, BELAZ, Norilsk Nickel, and Renera signed an agreement to develop more powerful machines, however, the specifications of these projects are still classified. Nevertheless, the Chinese ZL230E with its 230-ton payload capacity and 1400 kWh battery is currently the absolute record holder among serial electric dump trucks.
