Electric Construction Equipment: A Sustainable and Cost-Effective Alternative to Diesel and Gas
Discover the Latest in Electric and Hybrid-Electric Construction Equipment
The shift to electric construction equipment is on. Driven by the need for sustainability, electric machines also reduce noise pollution and have lower operating and maintenance costs, leading to a faster return on investment.
All of that makes all-electric and hybrid-electric construction equipment both environmentally and economically beneficial. At the same time, as electric-powered machinery technology advances, it is becoming a more viable alternative to traditional diesel and gas-powered equipment.
JCB's electric e-tech range includes telescopic handlers, mini excavators, site dumpsters and mobile lift platforms. A new offering is the 19c-1e electric compact excavator with an operating weight of 4,193 lbs., a maximum dig depth of 8 feet, 5 inches and a maximum dump height of 8 feet, 7 inches. The machine has a 4-battery pack that provides five hours of power in a standard application, and it is initially equipped with both 110V and/or 230V charging, while a fast charge option of 415V is available.
John Deere offers E-Drive hybrid-electric models, including the 744 X-Tier wheel loader and the 850 X-Tier dozer, and E-Power (battery-electric) machines, including the 310 X-Tier backhoe, the 244 X-Tier compact wheel loader, and the 145 X-Tier excavator. E-Power machines utilize battery solutions from Kreisel Electric. Hybrid E-Drive machines feature an electrified drivetrain with an engine as the primary power source.
JLG electric and hybrid boom lifts include compact crawler booms in five models with working heights up to 106 ft., articulating boom lifts in several series with various height and reach specifications, four models of telescopic boom lifts each offering over 43 ft. of horizontal outreach and toucan mast boom lifts in three models with platform heights of 20, 26 or 32 ft.
The VOLTEQ SKY 1000 is a battery-powered mini skid steer that offers 1,000 lbs. of lifting capacity and can be equipped with more than 15 attachments. It features a 20 kWh lithium-ion battery, three electric motors and an integrated charger. With its electric motors, the SKY 1000 provides the added benefit of immediate slow speed control and better responsiveness, enabling precise and controlled movements when needed.
Volvo Construction Equipment (VCE) offers a range of compact electric wheel loaders and excavators and has expanded to larger machines starting with the EC230 electric excavator. The 23-ton EC230 electric is based on the diesel-powered EC220E and is expected to achieve a 60% to 70% reduction of energy running costs compared to the conventional powered EC220E. Operators can expect four to five hours of active operating time on one charge, and charging with a DC Fast Charger is available.
Volvo Success Stories
Early adopters of Volvo ECR25 Electric excavators from Volvo Construction Equipment found success:
While electric machines aren’t new to most rental companies, certain types of electric heavy equipment are and for Vandalia Rental in western Ohio and northern Kentucky that included electric compact excavators — until now.
With two new Volvo ECR25 electric excavators on the way, Vandalia is able to rent them out to companies already eager to put them to work.
“It’s important for us to get in early with certain types of rental equipment, especially if we think it can grow momentum,” said Adam Virag, director of operations. “We were one of the first to rent electric boom lifts, buggies and so on. We’re already seeing a need for electric excavators indoors, so these Volvo machines are a perfect fit.”
Current requests are coming from manufacturing plants in the area looking to make indoor modifications where a machine must get in and perform demolition work with zero emissions.
The electric excavators will be paired up with other electric machines like electric buggies to haul out concrete and debris — and all of this can be done while factory workers are present. In the past, most of this work was done by hand over a longer period of time.
“The primary benefit with electric construction equipment is that the employees in the plant can still function throughout the day and get their work done,” Virag said. “Typically, this type of work would have to be done after the third shift or on a weekend, but with low noise and no emissions, it can now be done during the week.”
With electric compact excavators, Vandaila Rental anticipates even more requests for the types of work electric machines can perform. Virag noted that electric compact wheel loaders are likely the machines they’ll consider adding to their expanding fleet.
“There really isn’t a whole lot that can go wrong with electric machines,” Virag added. “There are hardly any maintenance issues, plus the charge seems good for the types of jobs they get done. We don’t hear complaints about that on our current units, and I’m certain it’s going to be the same with the Volvo units.”
A family-owned business near San Diego, Casper Company is a leading provider for Southern California’s concrete cutting, demolition and hazardous materials abatement needs.
For indoor demolition projects specifically, Casper tried out the Volvo ECR25 Electric excavator. The machine performed demolition tasks, some concrete cutting work and helped complete additional environmental service projects.
“We do a lot of underground utilities in existing buildings that are occupied,” says Darrell Merritt, a foreman with Casper. “The biggest problem we have is noise and exhaust fumes. For a lot of our jobs, we had to do it by hand because we had no access to fully electric machines. We needed something we could actually use in lieu of added manpower.”
After putting the ECR25 electric to work, Merritt said his operators loved it. “With this machine, operators and anyone around them can talk to each other,” he related. “Typically, on our jobs, diesel-powered machines mean you’re constantly waving your arms trying to get the operator’s attention. With electric, you can make eye contact and communicate much easier. It helps with site safety, but our operators also aren’t as tired at the end of the day.”
Does Casper see electric heavy equipment as an advantage to attract operators over diesel machines?
“We do,” Merritt said. “A lot of our younger operators were raising their hands to jump on board right away. They loved how easy it was to run, and especially the low noise.”
For charging, Casper experienced five to six hours of runtime with a breaker. Their best method of charging was the battery pack, which was brought out to the jobs so charging could happen on site versus bringing them into the yard each night.
From a business perspective, Casper sees a future for electric machines in their fleet. “Our goal was to get a jump on our competitors,” Merritt said. “With demolition, we do everything from tearing complete buildings down to small sidewalk panels to underground utilities. Sometimes when we pull up on a job, we get a bad rap for being loud because we’re demo guys. When we pull up with electric machines that are quiet and green, it gives us a leg up, plus our general contractors are excited about it, too.”
