China Huaneng, Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG), and State Grid Smart Internet of Vehicles teamed up with Huawei to launch a fleet of 100 autonomous electric mining trucks at the Yimin open-pit mine in Inner Mongolia, China.
At the heart of these state-of-the-art trucks is Huawei's cutting-edge 5G-Advanced (5G-A) network, which acts as the invisible backbone that transforms these massive machines from mere vehicles into an intelligent, synchronised ecosystem capable of autonomously navigating some of the Earth’s harshest environments.
Officially operational since May, each truck is capable of carrying up to 90 metric tons and can operate seamlessly even in the extreme cold of Inner Mongolia, withstanding temperatures as low as –40°C.
Huawei’s Commercial Vehicle Autonomous Driving Cloud Service (CVADCS) underpins the initiative, leveraging real-time crowdsourced mapping and robust AI algorithms to help the trucks perform route optimisations, minimise wait times, and maximise fleet productivity through real-time collaborative operations.
The platform also facilitates decision-making across the fleet by adapting to real-time variables such as weather conditions, ground stability, and machinery wear. It also reduces the need for manual intervention, lowering operational costs and risk.
By eliminating traditional driver cabins, the trucks mitigate risks to human operators, keeping personnel away from hazardous working environments. The space traditionally reserved for drivers now stores 568 kWh of energy, ensuring efficient, zero-carbon operations even in prolonged cold conditions.
The deployment of Huawei’s 5G-A network at Yimin is central to the effective operation of this groundbreaking fleet. Specifically designed to support the demanding network requirements of autonomous driving, the technology ensures a consistent uplink speed of 500 Mbps with a latency of just 20 milliseconds—vital for real-time data processing as the vehicles operate around the clock.
This robust connectivity not only supports real-time HD video backhaul for remote monitoring but also enables smooth and efficient cloud-based fleet management, crucial for 24/7 autonomous operation.
Huawei's 5G-A network also tackles the unique logistical challenges of the mine’s harsh and complex terrain, where traditional fibre deployment is impractical.
Instead, Huawei, along with China Mobile Inner Mongolia, employed advanced carrier aggregation (3CC) technology to provide network coverage across the operational area, including critical zones such as mining routes, dumping sites, and battery swap stations.
Zhang Ping’an, executive director of Huawei and CEO of Huawei’s cloud computing business unit, emphasised that the Yimin mine project’s success showcases the potential of integrating 5G, cloud, AI, and new energy technologies to overcome industry-specific challenges.
The autonomous truck project marks a major milestone in China's ongoing transformation of its coal industry—a sector pivotal to the nation's energy security and economic growth.
In 2024, coal remained China's primary energy source, ranking first in coal imports with 542.697 million metric tons. China also remained a leading coal producer, outputting 476.896 million metric tons, accounting for 52.6% of global production.
Recent national directives have called for safer, greener, and more intelligent mining operations. The 2024 guidelines from the National Energy Administration prioritise automation, low-carbon infrastructure, and the replacement of diesel equipment in large coal-producing regions like Inner Mongolia.
To support the sector, efforts like the project in Yimin come as China accounts for over 45% of the global intelligent coal mining market, with technologies like 5G and AI-based algorithms combining to augment and automate coal production.
The deployment supported a key region for China's coal production, as Inner Mongolia accounted for one-quarter of the country's coal output in 2024.
The region has proactively embraced intelligent mining, boasting over 200 intelligent mines and a substantial deployment of autonomous vehicles even before the Yimin project's launch. By the end of 2024, Inner Mongolia had 344 autonomous mining trucks operational across 43 open-pit coal mines, showcasing the region's readiness and advanced infrastructure in adopting cutting-edge mining solutions.
With autonomous trucks in China set to exceed 5,000 units by the end of 2025, rising to 10,000 by 2026, according to China National Coal Association figures, coal producers are keen to expand the solution.
Huawei and its partners plan to further develop intelligent mine transportation infrastructure in a bid to replicate and expand upon Yimin's achievements.
Looking ahead, Li Shuxue, chairman of Huaneng Inner Mongolia Eastern Energy Co., Ltd., reaffirmed the company’s commitment to replacing fuel vehicles with electric ones as part of building safe, intelligent, and green mines.
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