BEML Limited unveiled a 60-ton electric dump truck, the BH60-EV, at its Mysuru Complex in Karnataka on September 30. The state-owned manufacturer claims the machine is India's first indigenously designed and developed electric dump truck in the 60-ton category.

Chairman and Managing Director Shantanu Roy launched the vehicle virtually before company officials and employees at the Mysuru facility, where the truck was engineered and built.

The BH60-EV pairs a 1,000 kWh high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack with a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) integrated into a gearbox. Payload capacity is 54,500 kg, and the body offers 36.4 cubic metres of volumetric capacity. BEML says the powertrain delivers the torque and tractive effort that heavy-duty mining operations demand, including work on gradients.

On the safety side, the cabin carries a Roll-Over Protective Structure (ROPS), emergency steering and sealed oil-cooled disc brakes.

The economics are the selling point. According to BEML, the BH60-EV is designed to deliver 40–60% lower operating costs than comparable diesel-powered equipment. The company also estimates that each truck could cut CO₂ emissions by roughly 130 tonnes annually, depending on operating conditions. Both figures are manufacturer claims that mining operators will need to validate against site data — fuel and maintenance savings at this payload class depend heavily on duty cycle, gradient profiles and electricity tariffs.

Roy framed the launch as part of a broader push into electrified heavy equipment. "The BH60-EV marks a significant milestone in BEML's journey towards next-generation electric mobility for heavy industry," he said. "It demonstrates our capability to develop high-capacity electric equipment tailored to the demanding requirements of mining and infrastructure. With indigenous engineering, advanced battery technology and a strong focus on performance, safety and sustainability, we are creating solutions that can support both industrial productivity and the transition towards a cleaner future."

BEML is also supplying charging station solutions alongside the truck. The company says the infrastructure integrates with existing site electrical systems and can be configured to match customers' operational requirements and fleet sizes — a recognition that, for mining fleets, grid capacity and charge management can decide the viability of an electric conversion as much as the truck itself.

The BH60-EV is the second electric hauler in BEML's lineup this year. The company launched a 35-ton electric dump truck on April 10, giving it two battery-electric models spanning the mid-range and upper segments of India's mining haul market in the space of six months.

BEML Limited is a Schedule A public sector enterprise under India's Ministry of Defence. It operates three business verticals — Defence & Aerospace, Mining & Construction, and Rail & Metro — with manufacturing facilities in Bengaluru, Kolar Gold Fields, Mysuru and Palakkad. The Mining & Construction vertical is the home of the BH60-EV program.

What to watch next: BEML has disclosed no production volumes, delivery timelines or fleet orders for the BH60-EV. The first mining operator contracts, real-world operating-cost data against the 40–60% claim, and the pace of charging infrastructure deployment at Indian mine sites will show whether indigenous 60-ton electric haulage moves from launch event to fleet deployment.