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CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

useful for demolition projects, whilst noise reduction offers the
possibility to improve on site communication, improving site safety,
as well as potentially enabling site operations to continue outside
of normal daytime working hours. Generally electric powertrains
provide superior vehicles, with lower maintenance and servicing
costs, that are more straightforward to operate, and which facilitate
precise autonomous controls, with the battery efficiently powering
computers and sensors.
The electric off-highway equipment market size is expected to
record a valuation of $4.5 billion by 2028, according to the most
recent study by Global Market Insights Inc. The market growth is
attributed to the rising demand for zero-emission construction
machines. In addition, rapid growth in technologies, such as
new cell technology in batteries and advanced dashboards, has
increased the penetration of off-highway equipment.
For Dr. Johannes Kech, Head – Turbocharger and Fluid System
Development, MTU Friedrichshafen, Germany, electrically supported
turbocharging will prove to be a great milestone on the road to
hybridisation. The new technology is intended to be used in engines
with outputs of over 450 kilowatts for ships, emergency power
generators and off-highway vehicles. The underlying principle: an
electric drive is coupled to a classic turbocharger, enabling it to
build up its charge pressure earlier thanks to electric boosting. This
stage of development than the on-road electric vehicle markets, technology enables an enhanced acceleration capacity and load
there is increasing effort within the space to deliver zero emission response capability while reducing fuel consumption and lowering
solutions, with a growing number of prototypes. Key players battling emissions at the same time. With the aid of the electric drive, this
in the arena include Volvo, Komatsu, Hyundai, Caterpillar, JCB and is also achieved in operating conditions in which the energy at the
more. turbine is not normally sufficient for fast charge pressure build-up.
The electrification of construction vehicles is being led by the If the engine control system switches off the electric function, the
electrification of small compact machines including mini- turbo is operated as a classic exhaust turbocharger.
excavators, small wheel loaders and dump trucks, primarily Another interesting development that Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marcus Geimer,
because these machines are deployed in urban environments, Head – Mobile Machinery section, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
and cities are increasingly looking to lower exhaust emissions and (KIT) and his team is working on is to investigate the potential of
noise. Their use in smaller projects means their daily duty cycle is hybrid drives in greater detail using the example of a hydraulic
lighter than larger machines, meaning the power demand can be excavator. They are particularly concentrating on electrical low-
met with a practical size of li-ion battery and electric motor. voltage systems in the 80 to 100 kilowatt output range. In keeping
Volvo Construction Equipment has already committed to move its with the principle of ‘zero emissions’, mobile working machines
entire range of compact wheel loaders and compact excavators should operate completely emission-free in the future. It is no
to electric powertrains, completely stopping the development of longer possible to regard the engine, gearbox and electronics in
new diesel models. Other OEMs are expected to follow suit soon. isolation under this premise. Experts foresee good opportunities for
Development work is also being conducted by many OEMs for the fully electrified motors based on modern lithium ion batteries or fuel
electrification of larger construction machines, although most are cells, particularly in the area of low output requirements.
still in a prototyping or piloting phase, with the high upfront CAPEX Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd., Japan – has been
cost meaning they are not yet a viable commercial product. continuously evolving technology for Mining Excavators and Rigid
Dump Trucks. Tata Hitachi recently unveiled high-capacity electric
Local Air Quality Regulations a Primary Driver: Many cities are drive dumpers – the 190T (EH3500AC-3) and the EX-7 series of
looking to either ban or charge for operation of heavily polluting large mining excavators, which come with Fuel Consumption
vehicles in urban environments, through the introduction of low Optimisation (FCP) technology. Sandeep Singh, MD, Tata Hitachi,
emission zones. This could be a mechanism to incentivise zero- said, “Our highly durable and productive machines along with our
emission machines by adding substantial cost to construction capability to provide world-class service solutions, and offerings like
projects that continue to rely on only diesel equipment. Full Maintenance Contracts have made Tata Hitachi a most trusted
and reliable partner to our customers for their Mining operations.”
Multitude of Performance Benefits for Electrification: Electrification Action Construction Equipment (ACE) recently unveiled India’s
has the potential to greatly improve the working environment for first fully electric mobile crane, India’s largest indigenous crane
machine operators, with lower noise and vibration and reduced with 180 tons lifting capacity, and India’s first self-propelled aerial
exposure to pollutants. The elimination of exhaust pollutants enables work platforms among other new offerings. With this new launch,
electric vehicles to operate in indoor environments, particularly ACE marks India’s first indigenously developed 100% electric

52 CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES|FEBRUARY 2023