China has delivered what is being called the world’s first sodium ion electric mining truck, marking a significant expansion of sodium-ion battery technology into heavy-duty mining equipment. The vehicle was jointly developed by sodium-ion battery maker Hina Battery and Shaanxi Tonly Heavy Industries and delivered in July to Sanyou Mining, a unit of Tangshan-based Sanyou Group.
Hina Battery announced the delivery on Tuesday, describing the sodium ion electric mining truck as a breakthrough application for the emerging battery chemistry in heavy machinery. The truck is built on Tonly’s 120E series platform and carries Hina Battery’s proprietary Haixing series battery system, with a total capacity of 676 kWh.
Sodium Ion Battery Technology Behind the Truck
The Haixing series battery system at the heart of this sodium ion electric mining truck was first unveiled in March 2025, featuring cell energy density exceeding 165 Wh/kg. Hina Battery said at the time that the battery could be fully charged in 20 to 25 minutes while maintaining a cycle life of more than 8,000 cycles even under fast-charging conditions.
According to Hina Battery, the sodium-ion solution leverages the chemistry’s long cycle life, wide temperature range and high-rate capability. These characteristics are well suited to mining operations, where dusty environments and wide temperature swings place higher demands on battery durability and low-temperature performance. The company said the technology matches mining sites’ cost requirements for smaller battery packs, fast charging and high equipment utilisation.
Hina Battery stated that its sodium-ion solution will accelerate the replacement of diesel engines with electric powertrains across mining operations, positioning the sodium ion electric mining truck as a practical step towards broader mine electrification.
Hina Battery’s Expanding Commercial Vehicle Programme
The mining truck delivery represents Hina Battery’s second major move in the commercial vehicle segment this year. In June, FAW Jiefang completed systematic road testing of a sodium-ion battery heavy truck developed in partnership with Hina Battery. That test vehicle, a Jiefang J6P all-electric tractor equipped with a 339-kWh sodium-ion battery, covered more than 15,000 kilometres over nearly seven months of testing.
FAW Jiefang reported that the battery retained more than 90 per cent of its usable capacity at minus 40 degrees Celsius, with a cycle life exceeding 8,000 cycles under fast-charging conditions. These results underscore the suitability of sodium-ion battery technology for demanding transport and mining applications where the sodium ion electric mining truck is expected to operate.
Industry-Wide Push Towards Sodium Ion Commercialisation
A broader race to commercialise sodium-ion batteries is under way in China as the industry seeks alternatives to lithium that balance cost and performance. One major manufacturer disclosed in May that it plans to invest 5 billion yuan (approximately $736.5 million) to build 40 GWh of new sodium-ion battery capacity in Fujian province. The same company unveiled a sodium-ion battery for light commercial vehicles in January and in February partnered with an automaker to reveal the first mass-produced sodium-ion battery passenger car.
Another major Chinese manufacturer has said it developed a sodium-ion battery with a cycle life of 10,000 cycles, while a separate automotive group has unveiled samples with an energy density exceeding 170 Wh/kg.
Cost remains the primary hurdle for wider adoption of the sodium ion electric mining truck and similar applications. Hina Battery general manager Li Shujun said in March that sodium-ion batteries currently cost between 0.5 yuan and 0.7 yuan per Wh, compared with 0.3 yuan to 0.5 yuan per Wh for lithium batteries. He expects the two chemistries to converge in price by 2027 or 2028, with sodium-ion cell costs falling to 0.3 yuan per Wh by 2028.
Adding further momentum, China is set to impose a 2 per cent consumption tax on lithium-ion batteries from September 2026, rising to 4 per cent from September 2027. Sodium-ion and solid-state cells are exempt from the new levy, creating an additional cost advantage for sodium-ion battery technology and electric mining equipment powered by the chemistry.
The delivery of this sodium ion electric mining truck to Sanyou Mining signals expanding deployment of sodium-ion batteries beyond energy storage and passenger vehicles into the heavy-duty mining sector.