The world’s first electric excavator create Hyundai and Cummins

Electric propulsion is used in an increasing number of types of transport, but lately it started to be used in the segment of heavy equipment. Cummins and Hyundai are jointly developing the world’s first fully electric excavator and already submitted a working prototype.

“As electric vehicles continue to expand its share in the market, we see that the electrification of the commercial energy systems is an environmentally safe and cost-effective solution for construction equipment. Our mini excavators are working near residential areas, is a Prime candidate for electrification, since they meet the requirements of zero emissions and low noise,” says senior Executive Vice-President and technical Director, Hyundai Construction Equipment (HCE) D. S. Kim.

Cummins, better known for its diesel engines, in recent years becoming increasingly involved in electric propulsion systems. So, last year the company introduced a Concept electric truck Class 7 Urban Hauler EV.

This all-electric cargo truck, called AEOS. The engine feeds the latest battery pack with a relatively small mass increased capacity. As a result, the truck spends less time recharging.

In particular, load the truck – 10 ton, and charges your battery in one hour, the truck can drive with a load of 100 miles (approximately 160 kilometers). Cummins believe that this machine is ideal for delivering large loads from suburb to city and back.

And now created an electric excavator. The engine is a 3.5-ton machine powered by a rechargeable battery with a capacity of 35.2 kWh. According to the partners, this will allow the excavator to work a full eight-hour shift, and then to fully recharge it would need three hours.”

“This mini excavator is the first sign of impending electrification of construction equipment. The machine combines the strengths of a universal excavator Hyundai with lithium-ion batteries Cummins. We look forward to continuing cooperation with such companies as HCE, for the development and testing of advanced technologies in the industry,” says Julie Ferber, Executive Director of Electricrified Power in Cummins.

The timing of the trends on the construction market has not yet been determined, reports Electrek. The existing prototype of the excavator will be used for testing in order to optimize its performance and increase the competitiveness of the system.

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