Abstract
In recent years, many mining companies and mobile equipment manufacturers have considered Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) as a revolutionary technology to replace diesel-powered counterparts in their decarbonization plan. Benefits with the usage of BEVs in an underground mine include a better working environment, reduced heat contribution from the equipment, and potentially improved operation cost. Conversely, the BEV’s battery has lower energy content compared to a full diesel tank which causes range anxiety. It is one of the major stumbling blocks to greater BEV adoption. So further understanding the gaps between these technologies is essential for transforming an existing diesel fuel-based fleet into a BEV fleet or designing a new electric mine. Natural Resources Canada collaborated with industry partners to develop a test method to enhance knowledge of performance differences between the two technologies for all classes of vehicles, including Kovatera’s BEV and diesel utility vehicles. Testing consisted of evaluating these vehicles at two speeds on a 2.5 km test route and loaded at the same weight for a fair comparison. The test route comprised 10 sections, including flat, as well as uphill and downhill areas up to 20% grade. Results from these tests showed that electricity and diesel consumption varied with load, speed and terrain grade. A comparison of the BEV and diesel performance will be presented including: each vehicle’s ability to maintain speed, fuel/energy consumption, and energy captured through regenerative braking, as well as charging information for the electric vehicle. Furthermore, the data was used in a hypothetical duty cycle to estimate the availability of the vehicle within a work shift for planning purposes.