Big Mining Companies Try Electric Trucks

analysis

By Alistair Bates

ABC Pilbara

Topic: Iron Ore

Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at 9:37 am

BHP and Rio Tinto are testing electric trucks, but Rio Tinto also bought 62 new diesel trucks.

It's strange to see a big mining truck moving quietly with electric power.

The electric trucks are very quiet and don't make much noise.

Even though the electric trucks are a big step forward, there is still a lot of work to be done to reduce pollution from mining.

One of the electric trucks is being tested.

Many people flew to see the new electric trucks, including journalists and politicians.

Two electric trucks arrived at a mine in Western Australia in December.

Now it's time to show that BHP is serious about reducing its carbon footprint.

Roger Cook and other important people were at the launch of the electric trucks.

Geraldine Slattery said the trucks have been tested in a very tough environment.

She said the Pilbara is a great place to test the trucks because it's very demanding.

BHP is still getting rid of some of its green projects.

Many documents show that BHP has been slow to act on reducing pollution.

The Pilbara region is responsible for a lot of carbon emissions in Western Australia.

Most of BHP's direct emissions come from its trucks and trains.

BHP bought 62 new diesel trucks at the same time it started testing electric ones.

These diesel trucks will be used for a long time, until at least the late 2030s.

It's too early to say if BHP will get rid of the diesel trucks early if the electric ones work well.

BHP will think about what to do with the diesel trucks after it learns more about the electric ones.

Red dirt politics

A lot of the Western Australian government's money comes from iron ore royalties.

The government is very close to the mining companies, and this was clear when they all met to talk about the electric trucks.

A professor said it's good that the government is supporting the mining companies' efforts to reduce pollution.

But she also said that the government needs to make sure the companies are actually making progress.

There are still many diesel trucks being used at the mines.

BHP and Rio Tinto are not sure if they can use electric trucks on a large scale.

The problem is that electric trucks need to be recharged, which can slow down the mining process.

A professor said that the mining companies need to see data and results before they can commit to using electric trucks.

Rio Tinto is waiting to see how the electric trucks work at BHP's mine before deciding what to do.

Charging on the go

One possible solution is to charge the trucks while they are moving.

Another mining company, Fortescue, is already using electric trucks and plans to get rid of its diesel trucks.

BHP and Rio Tinto say they are not sure about using electric trucks because of scalability issues.

Fortescue got its first electric trucks in 2023 and plans to replace many of its diesel trucks with electric ones.

The company thinks it can recharge the trucks in about 30 minutes.

The CEO of Fortescue said he's happy to see other mining companies starting to use electric trucks.

He said that Fortescue has been saying for years that the technology is real and makes sense.

A professor said that Fortescue's approach is because of its founder's competitive edge.

She said that some companies are more willing to take risks and lead the way.

But Fortescue has also been involved in some controversies.

Beyond the photo-op

There are still questions about how BHP will charge its electric trucks using green energy.

BHP said it's still looking into this and is on track to reduce its emissions by 30% by the end of the decade.

The premier of Western Australia was very supportive of the electric truck project.

But it's not clear if this project is really significant in the bigger picture of reducing pollution.

The most important thing to note is that BHP is still using many diesel trucks.

The new CEO of BHP will have to come up with a new climate plan in the next two years.

If the mining companies are not convinced about reducing pollution, why should we be?

Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at 9:37 am

Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at 11:26 am

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