A 65-tonner Komatsu mining truck is being modified by a group of Swiss companies to a full electricity-powered vehicle. This e-dumper not only requires zero diesel, which means zero greenhouse gas emissions, it also collects extra electricity that can be supplied to power grids. If its estimated performance is met, it would prove its prominence in the electric mobility industry.
How does the e-dumper gather electricity for its self? Its electric motor is the key – while the fully loaded truck descents, instead of heating up the brakes, its huge electric engine behaves like a generator that recharges its battery.
Going back uphill, the now empty truck then uses this electricity to travel. For each trip, an estimated 10% of electricity gained is excess. This excess energy makes the truck a plus energy vehicle, generating a daily excess electricity of 200kwh.
The e-dumper is constructed to overcome slopes of up to 13 percent inclination and operate normally under the harshest environmental conditions. With these features, it may find its applications in heavy-duty activities that are sensitive to exhaust gases and noise such as construction work in residential areas or in tunnel-building.
via treehugger
