Electric vehicles are finally starting to take root (thank god), and manufacturers from all over the world are scrambling to create viable and compelling products, from sports cars to electric pickup trucks.
The world’s biggest electric vehicle, however, is not what you think it might be. The eDumper is a massive, 110-ton dump truck living in a quarry in Biel, Switzerland. It stands 30 feet long, 14 feet tall, and has a 600 kilowatt-hour battery pack.
Even more impressive than its size, however, is the fact that the eDumper requires no recharging, due to the unique way its regenerative braking system works. How is that possible? Check out the explanation from Green Car Reports below:
The dump truck, at 45 tons, ascends the 13-percent grade and takes on 65 tons of ore. With more than double the weight going back down the hill, the beast’s regenerative braking system recaptures more than enough energy to refill the charge the eDumper used going up.
We’re definitely not big fans of mining, but the realities of our society require that certain things be mined from the earth. And compared to the diesel equivalent, this single electric version saves over 22,000 gallons of diesel fuel a year.