Following the official unveiling in February 2026 in Xuzhou of two tremendous massive battery electrical machine prototypes for buyer Fortescue – the XC9260BEWL (battery electrical wheel loader) and a sister machine, the XC9260BEWD (battery electrical wheel dozer) – testing of those items in China at XCMG’s testing grounds continues earlier than delivery to the Pilbara in Western Australia within the coming months.
They’ve now been joined by two further machines – the XDE150E battery water truck, which is predicated on the XCMG XDE150 136 t mining truck chassis, together with a battery grader, the GR350EP. The XDE150E (generally known as the XDE150ES to differentiate it from the electrical XDE150E mining truck) is cited by XCMG because the world’s largest electrical powered water truck, designed for inexperienced mud suppression and environment friendly operation in ultra-large open-pit mines.
The GR350EP is supplied with a 528.6 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, delivering 6-8 hours of steady efficiency. It additionally gives dual-gun quick charging for faster turnaround. The grader has a mouldboard width of over 5 m and a journey pace of as much as 42 km/h.
IM Editorial Director Paul Moore in Xuzhou at XCMG HQ with the battery GR350EP grader
In fact, probably the most anticipated addition to the road up for Fortescue is but to return – the all battery model of the 240 t class XDE260. This can type roughly half of the battery electrical massive mining truck fleet for Fortescue – round 150 to 200 items; the opposite 150-200 items being 240 t battery electrical T 264 vehicles from Liebherr. The primary XDE260E vehicles are set to be prepared for testing in 2027 earlier than being shipped to Fortescue in 2028.
Liebherr for its half has already shipped over 100 diesel electrical T 264 mining vehicles to Fortescue that are already in use throughout a number of operations together with Iron Bridge and Eliwana plus its Inexperienced Vitality Hub testing space at Christmas Creek. The 100 unit milestone was reached earlier this yr. The primary battery electrical items are understood to be conversions of those present vehicles that can happen in Australia with a Fortescue Zero battery energy system, with the preliminary vehicles set to be operating by end-2026.
Liebherr initially had the contract for all of Fortescue’s battery mining truck necessities as much as round 360-400 items courting to a signing in September 2024 at MINExpo – Fortescue subsequently handed half of the truck order to XCMG in 2025 with Fortescue Founder and Govt Chairman Dr Andrew Forrest stating on the time: “China is scaling and manufacturing inexperienced applied sciences at unprecedented pace and our partnerships give Fortescue entry to that functionality.”
