Oh, this is probably politically incorrect of me. But I can't help it. Yes, we all - eventually - should move to electrically powered vehicles. Better for the planet, and all that. But this video on YouTube left me chuckling. It's a JCB electric backhoe... and honestly, it looks like one of those plastic half size cars you buy for your kid. It's like someone left a real JCB out in the rain, and it shrank. Check the link: I mean... heck. Nothing against the green revolution. Not looking for a flame war. But if this is state of the art in electric excavators, we'd better not sell the oil well stock just yet. >Charlie
My beat and tired ears would welcome this... if it will turn a whole shift.
Well, I think it will put in 8 hours production... followed by 12 hours charging. I guess it's OK if it's matched to the job size. If all you're ever gonna do is run narrow trenches and you can arrange to get it charged overnight, it might be OK. Eventually - my guess is 20 to 30 years for heavy equipment - we'll all be running electric rigs. It's just that this rig is so damned small. Made me laugh. >Charlie PS: he mentions at one point that the unit uses as much power as an electric toaster. Well, that would be a max of 1,500 watts. At 746 watts per horsepower, you can see we're talking a 2 horsepower machine. Even a small lawnmower has more power.
I have had some experience 38 years ago with electric forklifts and they would pull a full shift... plug it in at 4:30 and unplug it in the morning. Can the excavator charger port be moved to the carbody? would be a question and will the machine run while charging?. In the mining biz our 63 yard P&H XHP 4100's were powered by 7200 volts and the crew successfully trained in safety worked around the cables for years. There is going to be a learning curve to the machines and the ones that follow. However if the loudest noise in my work area was a earthworm burping under the grass.... I could live with that
Like Mother Deuce said, BIG shovels have been electric since steam. And little ones have been electric also, for indoor work. So I don't think there is any big push toward electrification of diggers. In twenty years, most midsize machines will not be electric, they might not all be diesel though...
Have to wonder if anyone has thought to make the batteries a simple slide in replacement? Swap them at end of shift and keep going or when stopping for mid-day lunch? I don't think it will replace all applications but for the right jobs I can see many advantages. Reduced noise and lack of smoke for inside/confined areas would be enough to offset some of the limitations. Now if someone could figure out a way to eliminate the noise from that hydraulic breaker! I recall a story about the original "Mission Impossible" TV show were in one episode of the show the main characters using just such a thing. After that episode aired they got calls from contractors asking about where they found that machine. The TV producer had to admit that the way they got the jackhammer to be quite was to simply turn down the volume on the recorder that was recording that scene!
"Now if someone could figure out a way to eliminate the noise from that hydraulic breaker!" I think a little more R&D is going to be needed on high density rubber/ plastic or tire recycling to make a meaningful noise reduction in breakers.
Have having been stuck in cellars and confined spaces with small diesel hoes with fans blowing ,I think these would be great
I was working at a high mountain ski resort in the middle of a snowstorm and having to pass through a shop where some mechanics were attempting to repair a FEL mounted snowblower with all the doors closed to keep the cold and snow out and they were using their truck crane powered by Cat 3208 to move stuff around. That would have been a place for an electric crane for sure.
Due to the current political landscape here in NZ, there's currently a lot of talk about moving to electric vehicles. The irony is, that our renewable electricity sources are maxed out and we are burning thousands of tonnes of imported coal at the old Huntly power station, which is shipped from Malaysia and then trucked from the port. Can't be doing much for the carbon footprint