Scania’s first electric 8×4 heavy tipper, “Sleipner”, has begun operating at LKAB’s Malmberget mine, advancing fossil-free mining transport.
Powered by a 400 kW Electric Motor, Sleipner Can Carry 38 Tonnes of Payload
Scania‘s first-ever fully electric 8×4 heavy tipper with two steerable front axles has entered operations at LKAB’s mine in Malmberget, northern Sweden, reinforcing Scania and LKAB’s commitment to further electrify mining transport.
The heavy tipper, nicknamed “Sleipner” after the Norse god Odin’s eight-legged horse, symbolises strength, innovation, and reliability. It builds on the experience from the fully electric Scania 6×4 heavy tipper, which has been operating at Malmberget since 2022.
As the first Scania electric truck equipped with two steerable front axles, Sleipner was developed on the company’s modular electric platform to deliver greater ability to carry heavy loads and stability on challenging mine roads.
“If it performs as expected, we will have a fully fossil-free solution for transporting waste rock in truly demanding mining operations,” said Peter Gustavsson, Project Manager for Electrification of Mobile Machines at LKAB.
Sleipner is designed for the utility and mining segment, transporting waste rock from a chute loading station to a backfilling site at Tingvallskulle, a route of approximately 5 kilometres with an elevation gain of 250 metres. Fully loaded, the tipper weighs 60 tonnes, of which 38 tonnes is payload.
Powered by two MP20 battery packs with a total installed capacity of 416 kWh, as well as a 400 kW EM C 1-4 electric motor, Sleipner replaces its internal combustion equivalent entirely. Given that LKAB transports more than 5 million tonnes of waste rock annually, the truck is expected to reduce the mining company’s CO₂ emissions significantly.
“Partnerships like this are essential for learning and accelerating progress. Each new truck we put into operation helps us and our customers understand how to scale electrification across the toughest environments. This vehicle is just the start of many more mining solutions to come,” said Tony Sandberg, Head of Scania Pilot Partner.
