Liebherr Makes 250-Tonne Electric Mining Excavator Commercially Available

Liebherr has made its new R 9300 G8-E electric mining excavator commercially available, giving open-pit mines a 250-tonne-class alternative to diesel-powered loading equipment.

Announced on 2 November 2026, the machine combines an 850 kW electric drivetrain with the established design of Liebherr’s R 9300 G8 excavator. The company says the electric model is designed to match the diesel version’s productivity, hydraulic power and bucket capacity.

Electric power without sacrificing capacity

The R 9300 G8-E operates in the 250-tonne class and is available in both backhoe and face shovel configurations. Its electric drivetrain comes in 6 kV and 6.6 kV versions, built to International Electrotechnical Commission standards.

Liebherr says the excavator maintains the same bucket capacity as its diesel counterpart when handling material with a density of 1.8 tonnes per cubic metre. This allows mine operators to consider electric power without automatically accepting lower loading capacity.

The machine has completed its validation programme and is now available for commercial deployment. Liebherr has not identified a specific African mine as its first customer in the announcement.

Lower emissions, different infrastructure requirements

Unlike a diesel-powered excavator, the R 9300 G8-E produces no direct exhaust emissions at the point of use. Its overall greenhouse gas benefit will depend on how the mine generates or purchases its electricity.

The electric drivetrain also contains fewer components than an internal combustion engine, which Liebherr says could reduce maintenance requirements and operating costs under suitable site conditions. Lower vibration levels are another intended benefit for operators.

However, switching to an electric excavator requires mines to consider their electrical infrastructure alongside equipment performance. The machine’s high-voltage power requirements mean operators must assess power availability, cable management and how the excavator will move around the working area.

Liebherr offers an optional autonomous cable reel system to help manage the power cable and support machine mobility. The excavator also comes with Liebherr Power Efficiency – Hydraulic Control, which adjusts hydraulic power to match the machine’s workload.

Digital systems support mine operations

The R 9300 G8-E uses Liebherr’s Generation 8 electronic architecture and supports technologies from its IoMine portfolio. These include the semi-autonomous Bucket Filling Assistant, the Skyview vision system and Data View, which provides equipment data visualisation.