SAIC Hongyan Partners on 1,000-Unit New Energy Autonomous Mining Truck Project

SAIC Hongyan Automotive Co., Ltd. has entered into a strategic cooperation framework agreement with the Xinjiang Zhundong Economic and Technological Development Zone Administrative Committee and Shanghai Youdao Zhitu Technology Co., Ltd., marking a major step forward in the large-scale deployment of autonomous mining trucks in China.

Under the agreement, the three parties will jointly promote the industrial application of autonomous driving in mining operations. The cooperation covers the construction of an intelligent equipment manufacturing base, the development of a regional operating network, and the rollout of a fully integrated autonomous mining truck project with an annual production capacity of 1,000 new energy vehicles.

In parallel, a regional operating center for autonomous mining trucks will be established to serve mining sites across Xinjiang. The project signals a new phase in China’s intelligent mining sector, moving from pilot programs toward large-scale and industrialized deployment.

As a heavy-duty commercial vehicle manufacturer under SAIC Motor, SAIC Hongyan has been accelerating its transition toward electrification and intelligent technologies. For this project, the company will leverage SAIC Motor’s extensive industrial resources to invest in and build an autonomous mining truck manufacturing base in stages within the Zhundong development zone, providing full vehicle manufacturing support.

The Xinjiang Zhundong Economic and Technological Development Zone is a national-level industrial zone covering approximately 15,500 square kilometers. With abundant coal resources and a well-established energy industry, the region offers favorable conditions for the commercial operation of autonomous mining trucks at scale.

SAIC Hongyan and Youdao Zhitu both bring proven expertise in autonomous driving technologies. Their solutions have already been deployed in multiple mining projects, including the Jindi Molybdenum Mine in Inner Mongolia and the Piliqing Coal Mine in Xinjiang. Supported by intelligent dispatch systems and vehicle-to-infrastructure coordination, these solutions are designed to handle complex mining environments while improving transport efficiency and operational safety.

The planned deployment of 1,000 autonomous mining trucks will further validate SAIC Hongyan’s capability to commercialize autonomous driving technologies in specialized industrial scenarios.

According to the cooperation framework, the three parties will jointly build a complete industry chain spanning technology development, equipment manufacturing, commercial operations, and ecosystem collaboration. SAIC Hongyan will focus on vehicle production, Youdao Zhitu will provide core autonomous driving technologies, and the Zhundong development zone will offer policy support and resource coordination.

Once operational, the project is expected to accelerate the shift of mining transportation from manual driving to autonomous operation, supporting the intelligent transformation of coal and other basic energy industries.

The partnership represents a key milestone in SAIC Hongyan’s ongoing transformation and its pursuit of high-quality growth. It also strengthens the company’s strategic presence in northwest China and lays the groundwork for further expansion into Central Asia. Looking ahead, SAIC Hongyan plans to continue advancing intelligent mining solutions and expand the commercial application of autonomous driving technologies across a wider range of industrial scenarios.

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