MARKET REPORT COMPACT PLANT
Avant offers a portable fast charging station for its compact electric loaders.
Machines on a charge
EHN’s Consultant Plant Editor Nick Johnson considers the latest developments in compact plant and discusses the potential for greener and safer machines.
One of the most common compact machines in hire fleets is the mini excavator. Yet the first diminutive self-propelled 360° slew tracked minis only arrived in this country from Japan 40 years ago. The pioneering model here was the 3.15-tonne Kubota KH-10D and it successfully overcame initial scepticism that these machines were simply too small to be effective.
Today, when it comes to mini excavator development, the big question is how quickly machines with batteries and electric motors will become well-accepted. As with cars, many environmentally conscious people now consider quiet, fume free electric drive to be the way forward and a lot of plant makers have been busy developing electric machines.
Having already launched hybrid versions of its 1.3-tonne TB210 and 1.9-tonne TB216 mini excavators, Takeuchi used the Bauma 2019 exhibition to reveal its prototype 1.8-tonne class TB220e all-electric model.
Bobcat E10e electric minis are now rolling off the production line in the Czech Republic.
Now in production, Bobcat claims that its new E10e is the industry's first commercially available, fully electric zero tail swing
(ZTS) mini in the 1-tonne class. First seen as a prototype at Bauma 2016, it has a maintenance-free, lithium-ion battery pack with an advanced management system.
Optimised for typical work patterns
Bobcat contends that it has optimised the battery pack to provide sufficient capacity for typical work patterns. Using external supercharger functionality, the E10e (when used with normal work breaks), can operate throughout a full eight-hour working day and can be fully recharged within 2.4 hours.
JCB used this year’s Executive Hire Show to provide the official exhibition launch of the production version of its 1.94-tonne 19C-1E fully electric mini. This conventional swing machine can be fitted with three or four lithium-ion battery packs to provide a 15-20kWh storage capacity.
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On maximum charge the 19C-1E can operate for four hours and full recharging takes 12 hours with a 110V charger, or as little as two hours with a 230V supercharger.
JCB has now sold over 200 electric 19C-1Es. Of particular note is an order from A-Plant for ten units. A-Plant’s Business Development Director, Dave Harris, says that this investment is indicative of the company’s commitment to purchase a growing range of low or zero carbon products from key suppliers.
The JCB 19C-1E can be used on jobs where quiet, fume-free operation is required.
Electric machines clearly have an operational advantage over their diesel-powered counterparts when working in areas where fumes and noise are an issue. However, their extra capital cost, the need for adequate charging facilities and some concerns about the operating time between charges for continuous operations may initially restrict sales. More stringent health and safety demands and the creation of more Ultra Low Emission Zones in cities are likely to aid their acceptance.
Whilst it has exhibited a prototype electric mini in the past, Kubota’s current ‘green’ focus is an LPG powered model. Its prototype 1.8-tonne class KX019-4 LPG model can run on LPG and it has a next-generation Kubota Spark Ignition engine. LPG has long been used to power small items of construction plant in confined spaces. Again, more Ultra Low Emission Zones could see a significant increase in popularity for this easily available power source. Interestingly, LPG is one of the alternative power sources being developed by Bomag for its BW120AD lightweight tandem rollers.
This prototype version of Kubota’s KX019-4 tracked mini runs on LPG.
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