Electric Heavy Machinery

A Kalmar Ottawa T2 EV electric terminal tractor has been successfully deployed on an in-road charging system in Ljungby, Sweden, enabling continuous operation without ever needing to be plugged in.

This heavy equipment operator put seven, 20-ton battery electric wheel loaders and dozers from Chinese equipment brand XCMG to work for combined 17,370 (!) hours last year, and realized an “astonishing” cost savings.

Chinese equipment brand LiuGong is putting its 25-ton 870HE electric wheel loader to work at a STRABAG quarry in Slovenia, proving that electric vehicles can get the job done without the sky-high fuel costs associated with fossil fuels.

Danish engineering and powertrain experts Danfoss have developed a new digital hydraulic system designed specifically for electric construction equipment that can reduce energy consumption from the machine’s battery by 35%, and improve runtime by more than 50%. (!)

The new Battery Electric Power Unit (BEPU) from Caterpillar is a plug-and-play solution that can directly replace a diesel CAT engine in existing machines – occupying the same space, and even using the same motor mounts to make the conversion from diesel to electric (almost) as easy as swapping an engine.

Designed to work in tight, noise-sensitive environments while carrying up to 500 kg (~1,100 lbs.) for a full shift, the Ecovolve EL500 is a uniquely competent and capable electric equipment option that can make it through a conventional man door – and Brokk is bringing it to America.

Volvo CE and Hitachi Energy have signed an MOU to support and accelerate the deployment of battery electric construction equipment powered by a clean, renewable energy supply that’s backed by intelligent energy storage and management.

Built to allow up to 52 guests to explore the frozen wilderness of Alberta’s Jasper National Park in serene, environmentally responsible silence, the new Electric Ice Explorer joining Pursuit Banff’s Columbia Icefield Adventure fleet is a machine that’s packed with firsts.

Chinese multinational equipment brand SANY says its new, SY375E electric excavator will redefine heavy-duty performance and job site sustainability with its impressive range of capabilities – but one item leaps off the spec sheet: the massive, swappable 550 kWh CATL battery!

German equipment brand Sennebogen recently demonstrated a semi-autonomous material handling solution that combines an electric wheeled excavator, mobile battery, and a mobile shredder to improve throughput and efficiency in European recycling plants.

An equipment rental company in the UK is making it easier than ever for construction and groundskeeping crews to test out electric equipment options by adding more than 100 electric machines from JCB to its Leicestershire rental fleet.

Kalmar rolled out its first-ever li-ion-equipped electric “medium” forklift at last week’s ACT Expo – but Kalmar’s medium isn’t like your medium. Kalmar’s medium forklift trucks can hoist up to 40,000 lbs. And their biggest models can lift more than 4x that. (!)

New Holland Construction released its first battery-powered mini excavator, the E15X, all the way back in 2023 – but enough of you called CNH to tell them your loads were just too big for the E15X. If that sounds like you, you’re in luck! New Holland is expanding its EV equipment lineup with the new, 2.5 ton E25X electric excavator.

The equipment experts at Liebherr have delivered a MASSIVE, 300 tonne (~330 ton) R 9350 E electric excavator the Assarel copper mine in Bulgaria’s Pazardzhik province, where it’s already delivering big efficiency gains.

On today’s pumped-up episode of Quick Charge, we notice how funny it is that Tesla makes a big Robotaxi announcement every time the TSLA earnings call looks like a disappointment.

First shown at last year’s Bauma construction expo, the all-new Mercedes-Benz eActros promised great range, awesome performance, and massive payload capacities from its new, HD vocational electric semi truck. Now, the company is ready to take orders.

In a move the company is calling breakthrough initiative, Lloyds Metals and Energy have successfully converted one of their massive, 650-ton class Liebherr R 996 excavators from diesel power to fully electric for the first time – and it won’t be the last!

In a move that Volvo is calling a world’s first, the company has begun regular production of its new A30 and A40 Electric model articulated haul trucks – making the first time electric articulated haulers of this size have moved from a pilot stage into serial production.

On today’s supremely clever episode of Quick Charge, we talk with engineers from MOOG about diesel, natural gas, and battery power – and how the ability to use any or all of the above on a single machine can help fleets decarbonize at lower cost, and with lower risk than buying different machines for each fuel.

APM Terminals has been electrifying its operations at the Port of Los Angeles over the last few years – and they’ve been able to effectively decarbonize and cut their fuel costs substantially. Those efforts have yielded another unexpected benefit, too: they’ve slashed truck idle times at the port by almost 85%.

The new electric-drive Komatsu PC9000-12 is the largest hydraulic excavator in the brand’s storied history, capable of moving a massive, 80 tons of material, per pass – at a rate of more than 8,000 tons per hour of operation.