Caterpillar Unveils New Automated Energy Transfer Solution for Battery Electric Trucks

International Mining has reported on an exciting development by Caterpillar the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment.

Caterpillar has introduced its innovative Cat® Automated Energy Transfer System (AETS) to improve charging for battery electric trucks. The system was recently demonstrated at Caterpillar's Tucson Proving Ground, highlighting its ability to automate the connection between electric machines and high-powered stationary chargers, ranging from two to six megawatts. By replacing manual labor with robotics and advanced vision systems, Cat AETS aims to enhance mine site safety, reduce downtime, and boost charging reliability.

Caterpillar Senior Vice President Greg Hepler explains: “When it comes to meeting production goals, every second matters on our customers’ mine sites. Through our advancements in mining technology and automation, our repeatable processes enhance machine reliability and ultimately reduce downtime. Caterpillar is proud to offer the solutions that create benefits for the battery electric machine charging process.”

The article reports that the development of AETS dates to 2022, when Scott Technology announced an agreement with Caterpillar to develop an automated connection system to support stationary charging of electrified machines including battery mining trucks. Scott’s expertise in this space derives from its Robofuel product, which successfully automates the traditional diesel refueling process of mining vehicles. Under the collaboration, Scott has applied this technology to enable solutions in electrified applications.

Read the full article: Caterpillar demonstrates new Cat Automated Energy Transfer Solution - International Mining (im-mining.com)