The heaviest electric vehicle most Indians have seen is a bus. In the iron-ore mines of southern India, something far bigger is already at work: a 90-tonne dumper truck that runs entirely on batteries, charges at a claimed one megawatt, and was designed in Coimbatore. Propel Industries, a company that started in 2009 making crushing and screening equipment for mines, has quietly become India’s most serious electric mining-truck maker — with around 230 electric heavy trucks sold, according to the Economic Times, which quoted managing director V. Senthil Kumar in December 2025.
From crushers to current
Propel Industries Private Limited began life far from electric vehicles. Founded in Coimbatore’s Sulur industrial belt, it built its name on crushing, screening and washing equipment for mining and construction — the unglamorous machinery that turns rock into aggregate. That mining DNA proved the perfect foundation for an EV pivot: the company already sold to mine operators and knew exactly how diesel dumpers earn — and burn — money.
The pivot went public at EXCON 2023, when Propel launched the 470 MEV and 470 HEV dump trucks. The Times of India described them as India’s first smart electric dump trucks designed for off-road mining, designed and manufactured in India. The official brochure lists a 350 kW heavy-duty permanent-magnet synchronous motor producing 2,000 Nm of torque, with 23 and 33 cubic-metre body options — serious numbers for machines that climb out of open-cast pits all day.
The 90-tonne statement
At EXCON 2025 in Bengaluru, Propel went bigger — literally. The headline launch was the 90CED, a 90-tonne ultra-fast-charging electric dumper that trade press described as India’s first in its class. The specifications, from the company’s official EV catalogue and EXCON coverage: a 34 cubic-metre struck body volume, battery options ranging from 310 to 650 kWh, Level 1 ADAS, electronic braking, driver-fatigue monitoring, and compliance with DGMS (Directorate General of Mines Safety) norms.
The charging claim is the eye-catcher: the company says its one-megawatt charger can push 300 kWh into the battery in 20 minutes — which it describes as a first in India for this segment. That is a company claim, and it matters because charging time is the binding constraint on electric mining trucks: a dumper that sits idle for hours is a dumper losing money. Alongside the 90CED, Propel launched the 70CED mining tipper, the 560HEV-X construction tipper and the 470MEV Gen-2, plus its Pulse.ev connectivity platform and a Pro EV Care service programme.
A 90-tonne dumper that charges at a claimed one megawatt — Propel is betting that mines, with their fixed routes and downhill braking, are the perfect first market for heavy electric trucks.
The battery question, answered honestly
Here is where the story needs care. Propel’s trucks are designed and manufactured in India — but the battery packs are not. The Economic Times reports that the packs are sourced from an American company with manufacturing in China; the chassis and body are engineered in-house at Propel’s leased facility near Coimbatore, with components being progressively indigenised. This is not a flaw so much as a stage: almost every Indian EV maker began with imported cells and packs. But it means “Made in India” should be read as designed-and-assembled in India for now, with the most expensive component still imported.
A second calibration: the 90-tonne class is enormous by Indian standards, but it is not the world’s biggest. Global mining trucks run to the 220-tonne class and beyond. The honest framing is that the 90CED is among India’s largest electric trucks — and possibly the largest electric dumper designed in India — not a world record.
Key takeaway
The takeaway: Propel turned mining-industry relationships into India’s leading electric dumper business — but the batteries still come from abroad, and the 90-tonne claim is an Indian milestone, not a world record. Heavy electric vehicles are having an Indian moment — Bullwork’s BEAST tractor is pushing the same frontier on farms.
Why mines electrify first
The business logic is stronger than it looks. Mining trucks run fixed routes, often downhill loaded and uphill empty — so regenerative braking recovers energy on every descent. Diesel is typically a mine’s single largest operating cost after labour, and electric drivetrains slash both fuel and maintenance bills. With EV revenue already near ₹170 crore and projected at ₹350–400 crore, Propel’s bet is that total-cost-of-ownership maths sells itself. The risk is execution: scaling service networks across remote mining regions, where a broken charger strands a ₹5-crore asset. The defence world is electrifying too — Pravaig’s VEER is the military counterpart.
What is Propel Industries?
Propel Industries Private Limited is a Coimbatore-based heavy equipment maker founded in 2009, originally focused on crushing and screening machinery for mining and construction. It has pivoted into electric heavy commercial vehicles and, according to the Economic Times (December 2025), sold around 230 electric heavy trucks.
What is the 90CED?
The 90CED is Propel’s 90-tonne ultra-fast-charging electric dumper, unveiled at EXCON 2025 in Bengaluru. Per the company’s specifications, it offers 310–650 kWh battery options, a 34 cubic-metre body, Level 1 ADAS and DGMS compliance. Trade press described it as India’s first ultra-fast-charging 90-tonne electric dumper.
Are Propel’s trucks fully Made in India?
The trucks are designed and manufactured in India, but the battery packs are sourced from an American company with manufacturing in China, per the Economic Times. Chassis and body are engineered in-house near Coimbatore, with components being progressively indigenised.
How many electric trucks has Propel sold?
Around 230 electric heavy trucks, according to the Economic Times (December 2025), quoting managing director V. Senthil Kumar. EV revenue was about ₹170 crore of ₹1,750 crore total revenue, projected to reach ₹350–400 crore.
What is the 1 MW charging claim?
Propel claims its one-megawatt charger can deliver 300 kWh in 20 minutes, which it describes as a first in India for this segment. This is a company claim; charging speed is critical because idle charging time directly costs mining operators money.
More Read
Sources & further reading
- Economic Times Auto: Propel Industries electrifies mining trucks — December 2025 report on 230 trucks sold, EV revenue and battery sourcing
- Autocar Pro: Propel launches four electric tippers at EXCON 2025 — 90CED unveiling, specs and the ultra-fast-charging claim
- Propel Industries — official EV catalogue (PDF) — Official specifications: 350 kW PMSM, 2,000 Nm torque, body options
