Construction vehicles are the grunting, humming, beating heart of construction sites around the world, but they are also notoriously inefficient. They consume large volumes of fossil fuels, very little of which is converted to productive work. Using diesel as the primary power source for vehicles and site power, along with other highly inefficient systems, has resulted in a large carbon footprint for the global construction industry. In fact, the construction industry accounts for a total of 20% of global energy-related carbon emissions.

The industry has reached a crossroads, however. Fully electric construction vehicles are leading the way toward a zero-emissions construction future. Besides being good for the planet by improving energy efficiency, electrifying construction machinery also provides a great potential to reduce capital costs and raw material requirements.

Increased efficiency in electric construction machines

Today’s excavator systems are only 30% efficient, meaning 70% of the energy supplied by the engine is wasted before it's used to move material. This equates to an estimated fuel value of $57 billion wasted every year. By combining electrification and energy-efficient solutions in an excavator, just a quarter of the energy input from today’s systems is needed to shift the same amount of material. Continued energy efficiency improvements will pave the way for complete electrification of the construction industry, resulting in zero-emission and virtually silent construction sites.

Electric construction vehicles capabilities

Whether preparing the ground, enabling building work or landscaping the area around a new building, construction equipment must meet the highest demands for performance. Precise maneuverability and robust work functions are necessary, along with responsive, ergonomic controls for machine operators. Space is tight on construction sites, so contractors need powerful machines that can maneuver in narrow spots and perform with maximum efficiency and safety.

Electric construction vehicles have the latest technological advances to deliver these transmission, steering, cooling, and work functions to get the same job done even more safely and more efficiently. At the same time, since electric vehicles are also much quieter than diesel machines, they are ideal for use in urban areas with noise restrictions. New technology has also been developed to form an independent climate control system for batteries that guarantees the batteries will remain in excellent operating condition, ensuring these electric machines can be used long term.

Converting machines to zero-emissions

Electrifying the excavator brings multiple benefits, including lower vehicle emissions and safer and more reliable operation. But how do leaders in construction make the transition to electrification?

The solutions are already available to drastically improve fuel efficiency in heavy construction machinery, while more compact machines can be fully electrified. Smaller machines with less horsepower demand will transition more rapidly. For example, excavators, crawlers, backhoe loaders and truck-mounted cranes all have the potential to be battery-powered and operate without emitting carbon dioxide.

Conversely, large excavators (20-ton and up) are challenged by high-power demands, making full electrification impractical. Instead, a hybrid solution can include, for example, an electric swing motor in place of a hydraulic one, thus reducing metering losses and motor inefficiency while enabling energy recovery and engine load leveling.

Overcoming the challenges of electrification

Some contractors worry about the technology and cost of electric equipment. As more high-efficiency machines are built, the price will continue to decrease. Even though an electric machine might be more expensive, it can still offer a good business case for a contractor when it moves more dirt faster than a diesel-driven machine. In addition, the rising cost of efficient diesel technology has also made traditional machines more expensive, making the investment in electrification an especially good choice right now.

However, the benefit to the planet is still the ultimate selling point. We are approaching a tipping point for the climate crisis. The world will likely build 230 billion square meters in new construction over the next 40 years—adding the equivalent of Paris to the planet every week. If emissions are to be reduced around the world, and we, as a global society, are to honor the Paris Agreement of 2015, now is the time to move away from diesel and strive for zero-emission construction sites. Clean, green, innovative machines have the power to end pollution in the construction industry through electrification. As the public and private sectors look to cut construction-related emissions to help the world transition to net-zero, fully electric construction machinery will play a leading role in the transition.