It is in a cement mine in Switzerland, operated by the company Kuhn Schweiz AG, that works daily the largest electric vehicle in the world, a Komatsu eDumper. Its job is to carry ore from the top of a mountain to a factory, for a total of around 60 tonnes per trip − corresponding to a gross weight of 111 tonnes!
To reach the cabin, you have to climb a total of nine steps. Where the driver will be able to control the 800 hp of power and 9500 Nm of maximum torque developed by a synchronous electric motor.
This Komatsu eDumper was not born electric
Developed in partnership with Kuhn Schweiz AG and Komatsu, this truck used a “giant” diesel engine (Komatsu 605-7). But that engine was replaced with an electric unit and the largest set of batteries ever put into a vehicle.
We are talking about a total capacity of 700 kWh, the equivalent of seven times more capacity than the most powerful Tesla.
It produces more energy than it uses up. Like?
It seems impossible but it isn't. The Komatsu eDumper climbs the slope to the cement mine fully unloaded, but when it descends it comes loaded with 60 tonnes of ore. You can already see where this is going…
In other words, consumption is 30 kWh on climbs, while consumption on descents is not only ZERO(!), but the electric motor also generates 40 kWh on descent, using the electric motor as a generator − energy that is fully stored in batteries.
As the eDumper fulfills 20 journeys daily, we are talking about a surplus of 200 kWh per day. This additional energy is used to power the mine and reduce the environmental impact of this activity. Great, don't you think?