China’s heavy industry is going green. A manufacturer in the central Chinese city of Shiyan, Chitian Automotive Co., has launched the CT176RE, a 176-ton pure electric rigid mining dump truck in Hubei Province. The company has produced the dump truck on its production line for the first time, to bring electric technology to demanding daily industrial work. The CT176RE is a mining dump truck for open-pit mines. It has a rated payload capacity of 176 tons and is powered by a 2,400-kilowatt-hour battery system and a 1,400-kilowatt electric drive. Chitian Automotive Co. designed and produced the vehicle’s chassis and vehicle control system.The truck is also equipped with autonomous driving functions. The battery can be recharged within 20 minutes, allowing for long-hour operation in mines. Chitian Automotive Co. is entering a market dominated by foreign brands of large mining trucks.Electric trucks gain ground in China’s mining sectorAs the battery technology, electric drive and control system improve, more mining companies consider using electric vehicles to manage fuel, maintenance and operation costs. But more importantly, the electric vehicles need reliable charging and power supply facilities.Sales of new-energy mining trucks in China topped 3,300 units in 2025, up more than 35% from the previous year, according to China Energy News. It added that sales of such trucks are expected to reach 6,000 units in 2026, based on estimates from the Gaogong Industry Institute. However, such trucks currently account for less than 10% of the total number of mining trucks in use in most Chinese mines, the report said, indicating there is still much room for growth in the market.Caterpillar Inc. and Liebherr Group dominate the high-end market of large mining trucks. However, the Chinese manufacturers are starting to offer integrated systems that include the battery, the electric drive, charging facilities and even autonomous driving systems.Chinese companies develop larger electric modelsChina’s electric mining truck industry has moved beyond early models and small-scale deployments. Manufacturers are developing higher-capacity vehicles for operating mines. XCMG entered the new-energy mining equipment sector in 2019. Since then, it has developed electric, hydrogen-powered and hybrid products, according to an April report by Xinhua News Agency.Zijin Longking, a subsidiary of mining group Zijin Mining, is also developing larger vehicles. In August, the company unveiled the 230-metric-ton ZL230E battery-electric mining truck. The company had earlier delivered its first batch of electric mining trucks to the Zijinshan Gold-Copper Mine and the high-altitude Julong Copper Mine, marking a move toward commercial operations.For Chitian and other Chinese manufacturers, the next challenge is proving their trucks can perform reliably in real mining conditions. Technical specifications may attract attention, but long-term dependability will determine whether operators choose them over established alternatives. That will shape China’s ability to compete in the global heavy mining equipment market.A China Energy News report noted that replacing a diesel engine with a battery is only one part of the transition. Charging arrangements, power supply, vehicle reliability and on-site maintenance must work together to make electric trucks dependable. The development of larger electric mining trucks is a key battleground for Chinese manufacturers, with the trucks expected to compete with international mining equipment giants such as Caterpillar Inc. and Liebherr Group in the global market.