Battery-electric railcar retrofits deployed at Carmeuse Americas mine in Michigan

Intramotev, a Missouri-based technology company building battery-electric railcar retrofits, released footage on Thursday of their TugVolt technology operating at Carmeuse Americas’ calcium mine in Cedarville, Michigan.  

It is the world’s first independently driven battery-electric railcar in revenue service, the company said. Last year, the TugVolt self-propelled battery-electric railcar prototype underwent testing in Intramotev’s St. Louis headquarters in North City. Its 20,000-square-foot facility is part of the former campus of Swiss manufacturer ABB, which in 2017 stopped production at its St. Louis facility. 

The company’s aim is that initial applications of its technology will include captive routes between mines and processing facilities, as well as intra-plant and ports. 

With support from the Michigan Mobility Funding Program, Intramotev will deploy a total of three TugVolt battery electric railcars at the Cedarville site, it said, adding that the deployment is estimated to eliminate up to 55,000 gallons of diesel consumption and 617 tons of vehicle-level CO2 emissions. 

“We’re excited to share a glimpse of our technology in action,” Tim Luchini, Intramotev CEO said in a news release. “Collaborating with…Carmeuse Americas brings us closer to achieving our mission of decarbonizing mining and steel transportation.” 

Carmeuse Americas VP of operations Jeff Bittner said the partnership represents an opportunity to increase efficiency, decrease carbon footprint, and keep workers safe  through adoption of emerging digital technologies.  

The Carmeuse deployment follows a $14 million Series A fundraise in August, a deployment at Iron Senergy’s Cumberland coal mine, and a switching agreement with freight carrier Eagle Drayage. 

Intramotev said it aims to help meet the Federal Railroad Administration’s Climate Challenge and to partner with owners and operators in the US rail network, and manufacturers of rail equipment, to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.