The world’s largest electric vehicle on wheels is the new eDumper, a dump truck that doesn’t need to be charged from the power grid due to its unique application and local conditions. In fact, it even feeds about 77 megawatt-hours of electricity back into the grid annually. The electric revolution is not just limited to cars, but also includes other vehicles such as ships and planes. The eDumper from Switzerland is a prime example of how even heavy-duty vehicles like dump trucks can be powered by electricity.
Weighing in at around 110 tons when fully loaded, the eDumper transports about 60 tons of limestone and marl from a higher quarry area to a lower transport system in a quarry in Biel, Switzerland. The eDumper is powered solely by electricity, saving about 130 tons of CO2 emissions and over 50,000 liters of diesel fuel annually. The truck is driven electrically uphill, while the lithium-ion batteries are recharged through regenerative braking during the downhill trip, generating more than enough power for the return trip. The eDumper produces about 200 kWh of electricity 20 times a day, resulting in an annual surplus of about 77 megawatt-hours that is fed back into the public power grid.
The eDumper is equipped with a 600 kWh lithium-ion battery that weighs over four tons and has the same power output as six Tesla Model S cars with a calculated range of about 3,680 kilometers. However, the batteries in the eDumper are much heavier and only suitable for short distances, as dump trucks require high torque rather than high speed. The eDumper is a remarkable example of how electric vehicles can be used in heavy-duty applications, reducing emissions and saving fuel costs.
