At the “REAL MINING 2025” conference, Oleg Sorokin, Commercial Director for Mining at Zoomlion Heavy Industry Rus LLC, presented an overview of the Russian wide body dump truck market and explained how hybrid and autonomous solutions are transforming approaches to quarry haulage.
The well-known Chinese manufacturer Zoomlion Heavy Industry produces both two-axle rigid-frame dump trucks with payload capacities of up to 300 tons and three-axle wide-body dump trucks. The latter category includes four core models with payload capacities of 60, 75, 90, and 100 tons, available in various technical configurations.
At the heart of the brand’s dump truck design is a reinforced welded frame made of low-alloy high-strength steel. All longitudinal and transverse beams feature a box-section profile, and 100 percent of critical weld seams undergo ultrasonic inspection. The axles are specifically engineered for operation under heavy-duty conditions.
The lineup includes options with different types of transmissions—mechanical, automatic, hybrid, and electric—as well as various control systems, including manned operation and unmanned or remote control.
Why are wide-body dump trucks of interest?
Statistics from the Russian market show steady growth in sales of this type of equipment in recent years. In the first half of 2025 alone, more than 300 units were sold—three times more than in comparable periods of previous years. This strong demand is understandable: in an environment of uncertainty and limited liquidity, customers are seeking less capital-intensive solutions for short- and medium-term projects.
The use of three-axle dump trucks instead of two-axle models has both limitations and advantages. For example, the recommended haul distance for three-axle models is 5–7 km, and the equipment is suitable for open-pit mines with depths of up to 150 meters. At the same time, the use of three-axle dump trucks reduces the cost of constructing and maintaining haul roads in quarries, as the required road width is significantly smaller than that needed for two-axle machines.
The ownership benefits of three-axle dump trucks stem from lower initial acquisition costs and reduced operating expenses, achieved through cheaper spare parts, including tires, and lower fuel consumption per ton of material transported. However, there is also a trade-off. Despite the difference in purchase price between three-axle and two-axle dump trucks, the overall service life on average favors the latter—approximately 10 years compared to about 5 years for three-axle models.
Hybrid and autonomous transport
Taking into account new market realities—particularly the cost of diesel fuel and its share in total operating expenses—Zoomlion is actively developing three-axle dump trucks with hybrid powertrains. In the manufacturer’s lineup, this segment is represented by the 100-ton payload ZT-160HAV model.
The utilization rate of hybrid dump trucks is significantly higher than that of machines equipped with mechanical or automatic transmissions. In hybrid configurations, two electric motors are used in combination with an automatic transmission. These motors deliver high torque at start-up and enable the trucks to handle steep gradients. As a result, such vehicles achieve higher travel speeds, while fuel savings exceed 25 percent compared to rigid-frame dump trucks of similar payload capacity.
Zoomlion is also placing strong emphasis on the development of autonomous and fully electric transport solutions. Oleg Sorokin states “We hope that our country will soon begin an active discussion on the creation of national standards for the use of autonomous vehicles in mining operations, as well as the potential application of 5G networks,”
The well-known Chinese manufacturer Zoomlion Heavy Industry produces both two-axle rigid-frame dump trucks with payload capacities of up to 300 tons and three-axle wide-body dump trucks. The latter category includes four core models with payload capacities of 60, 75, 90, and 100 tons, available in various technical configurations.
At the heart of the brand’s dump truck design is a reinforced welded frame made of low-alloy high-strength steel. All longitudinal and transverse beams feature a box-section profile, and 100 percent of critical weld seams undergo ultrasonic inspection. The axles are specifically engineered for operation under heavy-duty conditions.
The lineup includes options with different types of transmissions—mechanical, automatic, hybrid, and electric—as well as various control systems, including manned operation and unmanned or remote control.
Why are wide-body dump trucks of interest?
Statistics from the Russian market show steady growth in sales of this type of equipment in recent years. In the first half of 2025 alone, more than 300 units were sold—three times more than in comparable periods of previous years. This strong demand is understandable: in an environment of uncertainty and limited liquidity, customers are seeking less capital-intensive solutions for short- and medium-term projects.
The use of three-axle dump trucks instead of two-axle models has both limitations and advantages. For example, the recommended haul distance for three-axle models is 5–7 km, and the equipment is suitable for open-pit mines with depths of up to 150 meters. At the same time, the use of three-axle dump trucks reduces the cost of constructing and maintaining haul roads in quarries, as the required road width is significantly smaller than that needed for two-axle machines.
The ownership benefits of three-axle dump trucks stem from lower initial acquisition costs and reduced operating expenses, achieved through cheaper spare parts, including tires, and lower fuel consumption per ton of material transported. However, there is also a trade-off. Despite the difference in purchase price between three-axle and two-axle dump trucks, the overall service life on average favors the latter—approximately 10 years compared to about 5 years for three-axle models.
Hybrid and autonomous transport
Taking into account new market realities—particularly the cost of diesel fuel and its share in total operating expenses—Zoomlion is actively developing three-axle dump trucks with hybrid powertrains. In the manufacturer’s lineup, this segment is represented by the 100-ton payload ZT-160HAV model.
The utilization rate of hybrid dump trucks is significantly higher than that of machines equipped with mechanical or automatic transmissions. In hybrid configurations, two electric motors are used in combination with an automatic transmission. These motors deliver high torque at start-up and enable the trucks to handle steep gradients. As a result, such vehicles achieve higher travel speeds, while fuel savings exceed 25 percent compared to rigid-frame dump trucks of similar payload capacity.
Zoomlion is also placing strong emphasis on the development of autonomous and fully electric transport solutions. Oleg Sorokin states “We hope that our country will soon begin an active discussion on the creation of national standards for the use of autonomous vehicles in mining operations, as well as the potential application of 5G networks,”