Tonly’s stated design intent is to keep the engine in its high-efficiency operating band while electric assistance and energy recovery reduce fuel draw during haul cycles
Decision Focus
On 6 August 2026, Tonly Heavy Industries confirmed delivery of a fleet of 91-tonne payload DTH145 hybrid mining trucks to R&D Mineração e Construção Ltda, a Brazilian contract miner with four decades in-country and active operations across more than 20 mine sites. The delivery was facilitated through dealer ZAMine Service Brasil. R&D’s client roster includes Anglo American, Atlantic Nickel, Lundin Mining, Equinox Gold, and several other tier-one and mid-tier operators — meaning these trucks will work inside mine gates at operations that peer companies also run or source from. The operational signal for Mining Operations Directors: Chinese hybrid haulage equipment is now deployed at commercial scale in a South American open-pit contracting environment, not in a pilot program.
90-Second Brief
Today, tonly delivered its DTH145 hybrid truck fleet to one of Brazil’s most established mining contractors. The vehicle pairs a 570 kW diesel engine with a 176 kW LFP battery, dual-motor drive, multi-speed AMT, and regenerative braking. Tonly’s stated design intent is to keep the engine in its high-efficiency operating band while electric assistance and energy recovery reduce fuel draw during haul cycles. No independent fuel savings data has been published, all performance claims originate from Tonly’s own communications.
What Is Really Happening?
Tonly positions this deployment as part of a deliberate South American market entry following earlier work in Peru. The company claims, on its own account, that one in every two new-energy mining transport units sold globally comes from Tonly — a figure that has not been independently verified and should be read as competitive positioning rather than audited market data. What is confirmed is scale: Tonly reported more than 70,000 units in operation globally and over 8,000 delivered to overseas markets alongside the Brazil announcement.
The DTH145’s architecture is notable for what it avoids. Rather than a pure battery-electric design — which carries charging infrastructure requirements that many remote South American sites cannot yet support — the hybrid keeps diesel as the primary energy source while the 176 kW LFP battery pack and regenerative braking recover energy on downhill grades and reduce fuel draw on climbs. A dual-braking system combining mechanical brakes with regenerative motor resistance, plus one-touch emergency braking, addresses a persistent concern about non-conventional drivetrains in loaded heavy-haul applications.
R&D Mineração’s decision to adopt this platform rather than established Western OEM alternatives reflects a real commercial calculation. Contract miners operate on thin margins across multiple client sites; any fuel cost reduction that scales across a large fleet compounds quickly. Whether the DTH145 delivers its stated efficiency gains in Brazilian operating conditions remains to be validated by field data that is not yet publicly available.
Why It Matters for Mining Operations Directors
If your operation uses contract mining for haulage — or if you are evaluating contractor procurement in South America — this deployment changes the reference set you should be examining. R&D Mineração operates at sites run by operators whose standards are comparable to yours. Their adoption decision creates a near-term case study that did not exist six months ago.
The more immediate implication is for fleet procurement strategy. Western OEM pricing for 90-tonne class rigid trucks has remained elevated since supply chain normalization lagged demand recovery. A Chinese hybrid entrant at this payload class and technical specification introduces a credible competitive reference point, regardless of whether you would consider purchasing it — and that affects your leverage in renewal negotiations with existing suppliers.
The DTH145’s hybrid architecture also sits at a practical middle point in the electrification decision. Full battery-electric trucks at this class require charging infrastructure investment that carries capital and timeline risk for many sites. Trolley-assist systems require permanent infrastructure tied to specific haul routes. A hybrid configuration can enter service without either commitment — a meaningful attribute if your fleet renewal timeline is nearer than your infrastructure upgrade timeline.
Safety review would be required before any procurement consideration. The dual-braking specification and emergency braking function are described in manufacturer terms only. Maintenance and safety teams would need to assess how the hybrid drivetrain interfaces with existing brake inspection protocols and whether the LFP battery management system aligns with site hazardous energy procedures.
Forward View
Watch R&D Mineração’s operational reporting from its Anglo American and Lundin Mining sites over the next 12 to 18 months. If the DTH145 fleet delivers measurable fuel cost reductions or availability comparable to incumbent equipment, that data will surface through contractor performance reviews — and peer operators are likely to receive it before it reaches public channels.
A second front worth tracking is Tonly’s dealer network expansion in South America. ZAMine Service Brasil is a single dealer point; parts availability and response time at remote sites will determine whether initial deployments sustain or stall. Early fleet issues leading to extended downtime would reset the competitive narrative quickly. Conversely, smooth parts support would validate the commercial model for deeper market penetration.
Third, monitor how incumbent OEMs respond on hybrid configurations at this payload class. Caterpillar and Komatsu have hybrid development programs, but neither has a widely deployed 90-tonne hybrid at commercial scale in South America as of this report. A competitive response that accelerates their hybrid roadmap would directly benefit operators currently in procurement cycles.
What Is Still Uncertain
No independent performance data is available. Fuel consumption reduction claims, hill-climbing performance, and availability figures all come from Tonly’s own product communications. The comparison baseline — what fuel consumption the DTH145 is measured against — is not specified. LFP battery degradation rates in high-cycle, high-temperature Brazilian operating environments are not addressed. Parts lead times from China to remote Brazilian mine sites have not been disclosed, and this is the variable most likely to determine real fleet availability in practice. Whether R&D Mineração’s contract terms with its clients require OEM equipment approvals that could restrict which trucks enter site is also unknown.
One Question for Your Team
Which 90-tonne class haulage contract renewals or fleet procurement decisions are scheduled within the next 24 months, and does your current supplier evaluation process require benchmarking against non-traditional OEM entrants before committing?
Sources
- Im-mining — Tonly deploys hybrid 91 t class mining truck fleet to contractor R&D in Brazil (Link)
