Heavy Construction Equipment Goes Electric

Heavy Construction Equipment

You unhook your hybrid from its charger and drive to the project site where you operate heavy construction equipment. If that’s you in 2023, you may be operating electric-powered heavy construction equipment.

For better ground contact, on mushy or soft soil, track loaders are often a better choice than skid-steers. Track loaders and skid-steers are similar, but track loaders run on parallel “tracks” rather than wheels and tend to be more compact. To add to the confusion, many people call a skid-steer a “Bobcat,” even though that machine is manufactured by several other companies.

In January, Bobcat unveiled its Bobcat T7X compact track loader at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2022). Bobcat says it is the first company to commercialize a dedicated all-electric compact construction machine. This fully electric piece of heavy construction equipment with electric cylinders and drive motors will eliminate emissions, reduce vibrations, and replace hydraulic systems and components.

Electrified Heavy Construction Equipment

Bobcat revealed its battery-powered E32e electric compact excavator in May 2022 saying the 3.9-ton excavator should be available in August. “Diesel-powered equipment is a big polluter,” says construction journalist Jen Miller. She says battery-powered heavy construction equipment could reduce emissions by 59%, based on a report from the Mineta Transportation Institute of California.

At this time, the only solution to high diesel prices is to settle for less profit. And the up-front investment in electric-powered construction equipment is (and likely will be for some time) expensive. But high diesel prices are increasingly prohibitive, so operating electrical heavy-duty construction equipment is beginning to feel more affordable. The push to operate environmentally cleaner, more energy-efficient equipment will drive the off-highway equipment market to $4.5 billion by 2028.

Balance Profit/Loss Using Better Business Development

Rather than settling for less profit, maybe it’s time to explore other avenues. Stroking current customer relationships is one business development tactic. Developing additional marketing strategies by putting available data to work for you is another way.

This is something we know about. Your competitors use our analytics to study their specific construction industry markets. There’s a good chance they know something you don’t. To find out, call 800-925-6085 or contact Construction Monitor.

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