Teck Resources Limited & MEDATech have announced the pilot of a fully electric on-highway transport truck to haul copper concentrate, marking the first use of a battery-electric truck to haul copper concentrate worldwide. The truck will travel between Teck’s Highland Valley Copper Operations in south-central British Columbia and a rail loading facility in Ashcroft in BC.The pilot is expected to begin in summer 2022 and is projected to eliminate 418 tpy of carbon dioxide– the equivalent of approximately 90 passenger cars – for the first pilot vehicle, while also reducing costs through fuel savings and reduced maintenance.The battery-electric drive system is expected to work more efficiently than a comparable diesel engine, outputting a constant 620 kW (approximately 830 hp) and is configured to continuously output almost double the amount of torque.This pilot of the MEDATech ALTDRIVE-powered fifth-wheel Western Star will help to advance Teck’s goal of displacing the equivalent of 1000 internal combustion vehicles by 2025. It will also provide valuable learning for the electrification of Teck’s vehicle fleet on the path to achieving the company’s goal of reducing the carbon intensity of its operations by 33% by 2030 and becoming a carbon-neutral operator by 2050.
Teck Resources Limited & MEDATech have announced the pilot of a fully electric on-highway transport truck to haul copper concentrate, marking the first use of a battery-electric truck to haul copper concentrate worldwide. The truck will travel between Teck’s Highland Valley Copper Operations in south-central British Columbia and a rail loading facility in Ashcroft in BC.The pilot is expected to begin in summer 2022 and is projected to eliminate 418 tpy of carbon dioxide– the equivalent of approximately 90 passenger cars – for the first pilot vehicle, while also reducing costs through fuel savings and reduced maintenance.The battery-electric drive system is expected to work more efficiently than a comparable diesel engine, outputting a constant 620 kW (approximately 830 hp) and is configured to continuously output almost double the amount of torque.This pilot of the MEDATech ALTDRIVE-powered fifth-wheel Western Star will help to advance Teck’s goal of displacing the equivalent of 1000 internal combustion vehicles by 2025. It will also provide valuable learning for the electrification of Teck’s vehicle fleet on the path to achieving the company’s goal of reducing the carbon intensity of its operations by 33% by 2030 and becoming a carbon-neutral operator by 2050.
