280,000-pound payload: China’s electric loader to challenge diesel

Chinese construction equipment manufacturer XCMG has delivered two of its largest battery-electric machines—a wheel loader (XC9260BEWL) and a wheel dozer (XC9260BEWD)—to Australian mining company Fortescue. These machines, part of a record-setting US$400 million order, are designed to reduce Fortescue’s carbon footprint by replacing diesel-powered equipment with fully battery-electric alternatives. Both models feature a 783 kW electric motor powered entirely by onboard batteries, aiming to match or exceed the performance of XCMG’s existing diesel-hybrid models. The electric wheel loaders can handle payloads of about 280,000 pounds with bucket capacities between 15 and 19 cubic yards, placing them in the class of full-scale surface mining equipment. While specific battery details for these new machines have not been disclosed, XCMG’s previous 15-ton battery-electric loader used a 1,002 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery developed with BYD, suggesting similarly advanced energy storage