Massive 50-ton electric vehicles to help extract gold from Canadian mine

Eldorado Gold, a Canadian mining company, has ordered ten Sandvik TH550B battery electric vehicles (BEVs) worth $17 million to replace its diesel-powered fleet at the Lamaque gold mine in Val-d’Or, Québec. Deliveries will begin in early 2026 and conclude by 2027. These 50-ton electric trucks run on large lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4) battery packs, which are safer for underground use due to lower fire risks compared to nickel-rich lithium cells. A key feature is their “AutoSwap” system, enabling robotic battery swaps in minutes, minimizing downtime compared to traditional charging. The adoption of these BEVs offers significant operational and environmental benefits. They eliminate exhaust fumes and reduce heat buildup underground, which can lower ventilation costs—a major energy expense in deep mining. This could also enable deeper mining without extensive new ventilation infrastructure. Beyond gold mining, such electric vehicles have potential applications in other mining sectors, particularly those extracting materials for electric vehicle