Astra UD Trucks: Are Mines Ready to Adopt Electric Trucks?

Claimed to offer high efficiency despite heavy tasks, the use of electric trucks in mining areas is increasingly being promoted. Astra UD Trucks Chief Executive Officer Bambang Widjanarko said the company is preparing this while considering several factors. ‘Electric trucks have very large batteries. Recently, some mines have started trial runs, but infrastructure needs to be prepared. The issue is that mines require a power plant, and not all mines have one,’ Bambang said last week. Power plants are industrial facilities used to generate electricity. Bambang noted that without power plant readiness, using electric trucks in mines would be difficult. This leads to confusion over how to charge the trucks if each mine lacks a power plant. ‘If not prepared, how do you swap batteries? How do you charge them? The batteries are huge, weighing up to two tonnes. To swap them, heavy machinery is needed. Charging also requires a large power plant, and not all mines are ready for this,’ he said. A prototype of the electric truck was previously displayed at an automotive exhibition in Japan several years ago.