Scania and LKAB Introduce Electric 8x4 Truck for Mining Operations

Scania and LKAB report the deployment of a fully electric 8x4 mining truck at Malmberget, highlighting real-world use, technical details, and CO₂ reduction goals.

Scania and Swedish mining company LKAB have taken another step toward electrifying heavy mining transport. A fully electric 8x4 heavy tipper has now entered operation at LKAB’s Malmberget mine in northern Sweden, marking a world-first configuration for Scania.

The new vehicle, named Sleipner after Odin’s legendary eight-legged horse, is the first electric Scania truck equipped with two steerable front axles. Built on Scania’s modular electric platform, it is designed to handle extreme loads and demanding terrain typical of mining environments.

The truck operates on a route of approximately five kilometres between a chute loading station and the Tingvallskulle backfilling site, with an elevation gain of around 250 metres. Fully loaded, the vehicle weighs about 60 tonnes, carrying a payload of 38 tonnes.

Power comes from two MP20 battery packs with a total installed capacity of 416 kWh, combined with a 400 kW Scania EM C 1-4 electric motor. The electric tipper fully replaces its internal-combustion counterpart and is intended for continuous operation under harsh industrial conditions.

The project builds on the collaboration between Scania and LKAB that began in 2022, when a fully electric Scania 6x4 heavy tipper was introduced at the same site. During its test phase, that vehicle covered around 50,000 kilometres and transported more than 300,000 tonnes of material, giving LKAB valuable insight into the operational performance of electric trucks in mining applications.

According to LKAB, the earlier electric tipper helped reduce CO₂ emissions by approximately 30 tonnes during testing alone. With the company transporting more than five million tonnes of waste rock each year, the potential impact of scaling up electric transport solutions is considered substantial.

Scania highlights partnerships like this as essential for refining electric technologies in real-world conditions, while LKAB views the new truck as an important step toward achieving fossil-free internal logistics in demanding mining operations.