Electric mining service vehicle for the open-pit mining industry: Test phase starts in summer 2022

Montreal, June  27, 2022 — The Innovative Vehicle Institute (IVI), Propulsion Québec, and the partners of the electric mining vehicle (EMV) project—Adria Power Systems, Dana TM4, L. Fournier et Fils, Nouveau Monde Graphite, CanmetMINING, Natural Resources Canada and National Research Council Canada (NRCC)—are pleased to announce the start of a nine-month test phase of an open-pit mining vehicle and its infrastructure, starting in summer 2022 at the Nouveau Monde Graphite mine in Saint-Michel-des-Saints. 

The EMV project, announced in November 2020, consists of developing a new electric propulsion system and fast charging infrastructure suitable for heavy vehicles in the open-pit mining industry. t was made possible by a $2 million investment through Natural Resource Canada’s Clean Growth Program and the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation’s Innov-R program, administered by InnovÉÉ. The project, which also received funding from Société du Plan Nord, marks a major turning point in the electrification of heavy vehicles in North America. 

This new phase of the EMV project will test a 40-tonne Western Star 6900XD truck under real conditions in various operating contexts related to mining industry needs. The engine and components have been replaced and adapted for electrification, and charging infrastructure with an impressive 1 MW capacity has been developed to power it. The test phase will run from July 2022 to March 2023 in order to subject the service vehicle and its infrastructure to different weather conditions. The goal is to refine the technology and test the efficiency of the various components (including the battery) with a view to commercializing an efficient 100% electric technological solution that meets the needs of the open-pit mining industry at lower cost and can be adapted to other types of heavy vehicles. 

The Innovative Vehicle Institute will oversee the test phase in collaboration with the Nouveau Monde Graphite team, which will coordinate operations in the field. The results will be the subject of a report on the findings and the lessons learned. 

Quebec’s electric and smart transportation cluster rallies key industry players around collaborative projects designed to put Quebec at the forefront of electric and smart transportation development and deployment, all for the benefit of Quebec’s economy and the environment. Created in 2017, Propulsion Québec has over 260 members from a variety of sectors and deploys its resources across six distinct working groups to develop and support innovative projects. The cluster receives financial support from the Government of Quebec, the Government of Canada, Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), ATTRIX, Desjardins Group, Fasken, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Hydro-Québec, and Québecor.   

IVI has been leading the way in applied research and development of vehicle technologies aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of transportation. With over 25 years of experience in developing electric vehicle prototypes of all kinds, IVI is an innovation accelerator that is helping Quebec industry quickly position itself in a growing market. IVI is also working on the R&D of navigation and driving assistance systems for autonomous vehicles intended for automotive, agricultural, and industrial uses. As an NPO, IVI is a college center for technology transfer affiliated with Cégep de Saint-Jérôme and receives funding from Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur (MES), Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation (MEI), NSERC, and Ville de Saint-Jérôme.  

Julie Derro 
Coordonnatrice des communications 
Institut du Véhicule Innovant 
jderro@ivisolutions.ca | 450 431-5744 #248