T 264 Autonomous Battery-Electric Haul Truck by Liebherr: status and timeline

Milestones

Next · Full autonomous battery-electric solution validation completion

Liebherr-Fortescue partnership announcementJun 2022Complete.
First conventional T 264 delivered to FortescueOct 2023Complete.
Historic $2.8B autonomous battery-electric equipment deal announcedSep 2024Complete.
Battery-electric T 264 validation commences onsite2025Complete.
First battery-electric Fortescue Zero powertrain installed in T 264May 2026Complete.
Full autonomous battery-electric solution validation completionTarget 2026Current milestone.
First operational autonomous T 264 deployments at PilbaraTarget Q4 2026Not yet reached.

Most important updates

Upcoming

2026Full autonomous battery-electric solution validation completion (next)
Q4 2026First operational autonomous T 264 deployments at Pilbara

Current obstacles

Validating autonomous safety in mining pitsMust handle uneven terrain, landslips and coexist with other pit vehicles.
Scaling battery haul across ore typesDifferent ore bodies require different haul distances; battery sizing must adapt.

Physics limits

Battery energy density for heavy haulsLithium-ion stores ~250 Wh/kg; hauling 240 tonnes up steep pit slopes requires massive battery packs that add weight, reducing net ore payload.
Thermal management in hot pit environmentsFortescue's Pilbara operations reach 45°C+ ambient temperatures; battery pack cooling and power electronics thermal design must handle extreme heat without losing efficiency.
GPS precision in open-pit environmentTall pit walls, rock faces and equipment create multipath GPS interference; RTK (real-time kinematic) correction stations are needed for meter-level positioning accuracy.

How it works

4 parts

Battery-electric drivetrain

Swaps diesel for lithium batteries

Fortescue Zero battery replaces diesel engine; electric motors power axles.

Autonomous haulage

GPS, lidar and radar guidance

AHS uses GPS, lidar, radar and geofencing for driverless pit-to-port routes.

Energy management

Coordinated charging at pit edge

Charging scheduled to pit cycles; avoids power demand spikes.

Operational model

Service contracts over capital equipment

Liebherr and Fortescue structure the deal as a supply and service partnership, with Liebherr maintaining the trucks while Fortescue operates them.

Spec sheet

Spec	T 264 Autonomous Battery-Electric Haul Truck
Gross vehicle weight	416 tonnes^R (reported)
Payload capacity	240 tonnes^R (reported)
Fast-charging time	12–58 minutes^R (reported)
Order volume (Fortescue partnership)	~360 T 264 trucks^R (reported)
Total equipment deal value	$2.8B USD^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

2 updates

Sep 2024

Major: Liebherr and Fortescue announce historic $2.8B zero-emission mining equipment deal: 360 autonomous battery T 264 trucks for PilbaraPressCommercial

Oct 2023

Minor: First conventional T 264 haul trucks delivered to Fortescue; battery retrofit planned before 2030PressHardware

About Liebherr

The team behind T 264 Autonomous Battery-Electric Haul Truck

Liebherr

Mining haul trucks, autonomous battery-electric vehicles

Liebherr is a German-Swiss manufacturer of mining equipment and machinery including trucks, cranes, and excavators. The company is jointly developing battery-electric and autonomous haul truck solutions with Fortescue under a $2.8B partnership targeting the Pilbara's mining fleet by 2030.

$2.8B partnership (Sep 2024): ~360 T264 battery-electric autonomous trucks for Fortescue's Pilbara mines.
T 264: 416-tonne truck with 240-tonne payload; powered by Fortescue Zero 3.2 MWh battery and autonomous haulage system.
Largest deal in Liebherr's 75-year history; battery-electric validation ongoing with first unit retrofit in May 2026.

liebherr.com (opens liebherr.com)Company profile →

Founded: 194977 yrs
Headquarters: Switzerland
Status: Private
Valuation: private
Staff: ~54,700
Works in: VehiclesMining & off-road autonomy
Coverage: 1 program · 2 updateslatest 1 Sep 2024checked 11 Oct
Customers: Fortescue Metals Group (opens fortescue.com)