±ØÓ®ÌåÓý

Anticipated net zero legislation in the EU could have a significant effect on the sales of battery electric equipment

Current technology dictates that the majority of construction machines will be powered by electricity � particularly where they are put to work on urban projects.

Responding to the recent growth in electric vehicles, specialist forecasting consultancy Off-Highway Research has produced a report examining the current and future size of the global market for electric construction machines.

The report stresses that market drivers such as net-zero legislation are likely to have a significant effect on sales.

With this in mind, many construction businesses are monitoring the situation, and a significant number have started introducing battery-electric machines to their fleets.

The battery or the bank balance?

When it comes to road construction specialists considering the purchase of new equipment for urban projects, this becomes something of a challenge

Battery-electric machines clearly bring sustainability advantages � and having them within one’s fleet has the potential to generate new business, with many developers and authorities highlighting the need for ‘green� practices from contractors bidding on new projects.

On the flipside, potential purchasers will question how significant the effect will be on their bottom line, when the machines themselves cost considerably more to purchase than diesel equivalents.

Mark Herold, a product manager with the compaction equipment specialist Hamm, part of the Wirtgen Group, has been studying for a number of years.

The fact that electric machines burn no fuel as they ‘idle� can result in significant fuel cost savings

He believes the time is now right for road construction businesses to increase the use of electric power, particularly with smaller equipment and equipment predominantly designed for use on urban projects.

While he acknowledges there is no easy formula for estimating cost comparisons between electric and diesel-powered machines, he is confident that a run through the pros and cons of battery-electric can clarify the situation.

Complex comparisons

In his specialist area of compaction equipment, he says, “We have calculated the total cost of ownership in several cases, but it is a very complicated topic.

“For example, counting the working hours of an electrified machine is very different from those of a diesel-powered machine.

“This is especially true of rollers, because they can be idling from between 10% and 50% of the day.�

To some extent, this fact alone makes a strong case for electrified machines, which, when idling, are burning no fuel at all.

Herold agrees, saying, “This makes a big difference, as you start counting working hours on a diesel as soon as you start the engine, whereas an electric machine has to be moving.

Mark Herold, a product manager with Hamm, has spent the last few years studying the electrification of construction equipment

“At the end of the day � or the year � you’ll find that the electrified roller will have way less counted hours than the diesel-powered machine, but it will have done the same amount of work, if not more.�

Arguing that electricity generally also costs less than the equivalent energy from diesel, Herold believes these fuel cost savings could � under certain circumstances and in certain regions � total an impressive 50%.

That’s a pretty good start for the battery-electric argument, but there’s more�

The question of components

Tied with the question of maintenance and servicing, we have the all-important matter of uptime.

“If we are talking about the total cost of ownership,� says Herold, “then it’s important to note that there is way less maintenance with an electric machine.

“No need to change exhaust filters, engine oil, oil filters. The combustion engine and all its potential problems no longer exist. Even in terms of hydraulic oil, certainly with our new electric rollers, the hydroelectric system means there is very little oil in the machine.�

Herold points out that these advantages, leading to greater uptime, are equally beneficial for contractors buying machines and for rental companies, who, of course, can only rent a machine that’s ready to do a day’s work, ie, not in the repair shop.

Putting a real shift in

Battery-electric compactors require little maintenance � for example, no combustion engine means no exhaust or oil filters

Another argument related to total cost of ownership is the lifespan of the machine and, although are still relatively young, it would be logical to assume they will last longer than their diesel counterparts, having many fewer moving parts.

On the question of performance, Herold is equally upbeat about electrified machines, saying, “We tend to point out that they are just as powerful as diesel. When we take a closer look, we see most electric machines are actually even more powerful than their diesel equivalents, because electric motors have more torque, more peak power.

He describes the enhanced performance of Hamm’s new electric rollers, the HD10e and HD12e � small machines of 2.5 and 2.7 tonnes respectively � saying, “the electric motors for dynamic compaction are connected directly to the drive shaft, and by having this very high torque at low RPM, we are able to switch the system on way faster than with a diesel-powered machine.�

Herold insists that for an operator used to working with diesel machines, having to charge the battery at the end of the day is the only real difference.

As for the compaction system � in Hamm’s case, a unique combination of oscillation and vibration � it remains the same on both machines.

Perhaps the only other discernable difference between the machines is that, when rolling on hot asphalt, the electric machine is demonstrably quieter.

Greener and more productive

From a regional perspective, it’s well understood that the use of battery-electric construction equipment is more widely accepted in Northern Europe, particularly the Nordic countries, where the drive towards net zero construction is as advanced as anywhere in the world.

Herold acknowledges that this is a strong market for electric rollers, but insists Nordic customers are in no way leaving good business sense behind in their pursuit of sustainable construction practices.

He notes that sustainability comes not only from the machine’s battery, but from “the higher efficiency of the electrified system� which in turn leads to greater productivity and thus a healthier bottom line.

“Of course they want to earn money,� Herold says, “it simply makes it a win-win if they can earn more money through more sustainable construction.�

--------

This article was produced by ±ØÓ®ÌåÓý Content Studio in collaboration with experts from

--------

All images courtesy of

--------