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World's First Sodium-Ion Electric Mining Truck Delivered in China
Electrification

World's First Sodium-Ion Electric Mining Truck Delivered in China

By Heavy-shift 3 min read
World's First Sodium-Ion Electric Mining Truck Delivered in China
World's First Sodium-Ion Electric Mining Truck Delivered in China

World's First Sodium-Ion Electric Mining Truck Delivered in China

The world's first sodium-ion battery-powered electric mining truck has been delivered in China, pushing the fast-rising cell chemistry out of energy storage and light vehicles and into the harshest duty class in mobile machinery. Battery maker Hina Battery and Shaanxi Tonly Heavy Industries jointly developed the truck, which was handed over to Sanyou Mining, a unit of Tangshan-based Sanyou Group, in July. Hina called it the world's first vehicle of its kind.

The Truck and the Battery

The truck is built on Tonly's TLE120 (120E series) platform and carries Hina's in-house developed Haixing series sodium-ion battery system with a total capacity of 676 kWh. The cells deliver an energy density above 165 Wh/kg and can take a full charge in 20 to 25 minutes. Hina says the pack still holds a cycle life of more than 8,000 cycles under continuous fast charging — a lifespan that lines up with the service life of the truck itself.

For mining operators, the pitch is long cycle life, wide temperature range and high-rate capability, in a pack that charges fast and keeps trucks in the pit. Mines are heavy diesel consumers, and their dusty air and wide temperature swings punish battery life and cold-weather performance. Hina argues sodium-ion will accelerate the replacement of diesel engines with electric powertrains on site.

Cold Weather Is Sodium-Ion's Strong Suit

Sodium-ion has already proven its cold tolerance in heavy trucks. In June, FAW Jiefang wrapped up a systematic road test of a heavy truck developed with Hina: a Jiefang J6P electric tractor with a 339-kWh sodium-ion pack covered more than 15,000 km over nearly seven months, retained more than 90 percent of usable capacity at minus 40 degrees Celsius, and kept a cycle life above 8,000 cycles under fast charging. For mines at altitude or in northern winters, that kind of cold performance matters.

A Chemistry Race in Full Swing

China's battery industry is scaling the chemistry at pace. CATL disclosed in May plans to invest 5 billion yuan (about USD 737 million) in 40 GWh of new sodium-ion capacity in Fujian. BYD says it has developed sodium cells with a 10,000-cycle life, and BAIC has shown samples above 170 Wh/kg. Beijing is nudging too: from September, lithium batteries face a 2 percent consumption tax — rising to 4 percent in September 2027 — while sodium-ion and solid-state cells are exempt.

The Catch: Density and Cost

The chemistry still trails LFP on energy density, and the spec sheet shows it. Tonly's previous battery-electric TLE120 carried an 801-kWh LFP pack; the sodium-ion version makes do with 676 kWh. Cost is the other hurdle. Hina's general manager Li Shujun puts sodium-ion cells at 0.5–0.7 yuan per Wh today versus 0.3–0.5 yuan for lithium cells, but expects the two to converge in 2027–2028, with sodium-ion falling toward 0.3 yuan per Wh by 2028. Tonly also already offers battery swapping for mining trucks, which turns the pack into a service item rather than a range constraint.

What It Means

This delivery is a pilot, not a revolution — one truck gathering real-world operational data at one mine. But mining is close to sodium-ion's ideal proving ground: predictable routes, multi-shift utilization and a business case built on cost per tonne moved. If the chemistry delivers on its cycle-life and cold-weather promises, the next few years could see sodium-ion move from grid storage and city trucks into the heart of heavy industry — one hauler at a time.

Sources

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