Montreal, June 27, 2022 — The Innovative Vehicle Institute (IVI), Propulsion Québec as well as the partners of the electric mining vehicle (VMÉ) project, Adria Power Systems, Dana TM4, L. Fournier et Fils, Nouveau Monde Graphite, CanmetMINES, Natural Resources Canada and the National Research Council Canada (NRC) are pleased to announce the launch of the very first testing phase of the service mining vehicle intended for the open-pit mining industry and its infrastructure for a period of 9 months beginning in summer 2022 at the Nouveau Monde Graphite site located in Saint-Michel-des-Saints.
The VMÉ project, announced in November 2020, consists of developing a new electric propulsion system and its fast-charging infrastructure adapted to heavy vehicles in the open-pit mining industry. It is made possible in particular thanks to afinancial support of more than $2 million from the Clean Growth Program of Natural Resources Canada and nearly $2 million from the Innov-R program of the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, administered by InnovÉÉ. Also benefiting from a financial contribution from the Société du Plan Nord, this project marks a major turning point in the electrification of heavy vehicles in North America.
This new phase of the VMÉ project will make it possible to test in real conditions, and under different operational contexts related to the needs of the mining industry, the Western Star 6900XD truck with a 40-ton capacity whose powertrain and components have been replaced and adapted for its electrification, as well as the charging infrastructure, with an impressive power of 1 MW, developed to power it. The test phase will take place from July 2022 to March 2023 to evaluate the service vehicle and its infrastructure in different climatic conditions in order to refine the technology, to test the efficiency of the various components, including the battery, to validate the digital design-assist tools, and thus proceed to the commercialization of an efficient 100% electric VMÉ technological solution that meets the needs of the open-pit mining industry, with lower operating costs and adaptable to other types of heavy vehicles.
The Innovative Vehicle Institute will supervise this testing phase, collaborating with the Nouveau Monde Graphite team which will coordinate field operations and the NRC which will validate the different simulation models. The results will be the subject of a report of conclusions and lessons learned.
"Propulsion Québec is very proud of the collective work accomplished by the team and the partners of the 100% electric VMÉ project since its announcement in November 2020. After 18 months of intensive research, development and experimentation, the vehicle, its components and its infrastructure are ready to be put to the test in Saint-Michel-des-Saints and demonstrate their effectiveness in reducing GHGs from open-pit mines in Quebec and Canada, which are still too dependent on fossil energy to power this type of heavy vehicle. This testing phase is part of a collective approach to the energy transition of specialized land transport and will shape the future of this industry for the years to come"
"Now that the prototype is complete, we must put it to the test. It is therefore with great enthusiasm that we will soon supervise the testing phase of the electric mining truck and its charging in real operating conditions at the Nouveau Monde Graphite mine. This will allow us to evaluate the truck's performance to confirm that the simulations of this complex environment were accurate or, on the contrary, to plan changes in order to take into account the real needs of our partner.
This is what is called the 'agile development process,' it is a development cycle that sticks to the reality of innovation and recalls the essence of our mission: create, test, adapt, all to improve"
"Congratulations to Propulsion Québec and its partners for reaching the testing phase of their electric mining vehicle project, which represents a major step toward reducing GHG emissions in open-pit mines. Innovation in the mining sector, such as the electrification of vehicles, contributes to achieving our ambitious climate objectives, including carbon neutrality by 2050."
"We are building a complete value chain in Quebec, from our minerals through battery manufacturing to the marketing of commercial vehicles. This new electric mining vehicle will allow us to decarbonize this strategic sector and contribute to the extraction of minerals to manufacture batteries with an even lower carbon footprint."
"Quebec stands out internationally with cutting-edge expertise and a mining industry that meets the highest environmental standards. Although it contributes upstream to the production of minerals used in green technologies, this sector must ensure it further reduces its ecological footprint. This new electric mining vehicle represents an innovative way to do so within the heavy transport sector."
"In its objective to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Quebec, our government is betting on the electrification of all modes of transport: cars, buses, taxis, trains, trucks. With the development of this 100% electric mining vehicle, the partners are demonstrating that any type of vehicle can be electrified. Their project marks a major turning point in the development of a lower-carbon mining industry, as required by the climate emergency. We are pleased to support it."
About Propulsion Québec
The Quebec cluster for electric and intelligent transportation catalyzes ecosystem actors around coordinated projects aimed at positioning Quebec among the world leaders in the development and deployment of electric and intelligent transportation, for the benefit of Quebec's economy and environment. Created in 2017, Propulsion Québec now has more than 260 members from different sectors and deploys its resources across six distinct workstreams aimed at developing and supporting innovative projects. The cluster benefits from financial support from the Government of Quebec, the Government of Canada, the Montreal Metropolitan Community (CMM), ATTRIX, the Desjardins Movement, Fasken, the FTQ Solidarity Fund, Hydro-Québec and Quebecor.
About theInnovative Vehicle Institute
IVI has established itself as the reference for advancing applied research and the development of vehicle technologies that reduce the ecological footprint of transportation. With more than 25 years of experience in the development of electric vehicle prototypes of all kinds, IVI is an innovation accelerator helping the Quebec industry to position itself quickly in a growing market. IVI also works on research and development of navigation and driver-assistance systems for autonomous vehicles intended notably for the automotive, agricultural and industrial sectors. Incorporated as a non-profit organization, IVI holds the status of a College Centre for Technology Transfer affiliated with the Cégep de Saint-Jérôme and receives financial support from the Ministry of Higher Education (MES), the Ministry of Economy and Innovation (MEI), NSERC and the City of Saint-Jérôme.
Julie Derro
Communications Coordinator
Innovative Vehicle Institute
jderro@ivisolutions.ca | 450 431-5744 #248
