Mining giant Rio Tinto plans to expand self-driving truck fleet to cut costs

Reuters reported in the early morning of the 18th Beijing time that mining giant Rio Tinto said it plans to expand its fleet of self-driving trucks in Australia's Pilbara iron ore region, part of a large-scale cost-cutting plan by the company.

Rio Tinto said it has signed an agreement with Japan's Komatsu Ltd and the United States' Caterpillar Inc to install autonomous haulage systems (AHS) on 48 trucks, which will be the first time the technology has been used on a Caterpillar truck.

The conversion is expected to be completed by the end of 2019, by which time more than 130 of Rio Tinto’s Pilbara fleet of nearly 400 trucks will be autonomous.

Rio Tinto said its self-driving long-haul trucks ran 1,000 more hours each last year and reduced unit costs for loads and transport by 15% compared with conventional vehicles.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.