Proterra Inc, a leading innovator in commercial vehicle electrification technology, and Komatsu, a global leader in construction and mining equipment, have announced a new collaboration to electrify next-generation underground mining machines using Proterra’s battery technology. Under the collaboration, Proterra will supply its H Series battery system technology to Komatsu for the development of battery-electric LHDs, drills, and bolters for underground hard rock mining. Komatsu plans to utilize Proterra’s high-performance battery systems for the development of prototype machines with expected commencement of commercial production in 2022.
Komatsu has helped advance customer options to mitigate environmental impact through product development for many years, through initiatives such as its hybrid hydraulic excavators kickoff in 2008, which marked the world’s first hybrid construction equipment on the market. In 2021, Komatsu also announced its new Greenhouse Gas (GHG) alliance with customers to actively collaborate on product planning, development, testing and deployment of the next generation of zero-emission mining equipment and infrastructure.