HEVI's Line Of All-Electric Excavators And Loaders Finally Brings A Zero Emission Alternative To Diesel-Powered Heavy Equipment

As the Senate and the EPA battle over new emission standards for trucks and other heavy equipment, a decades-long effort to curb emissions across construction, manufacturing, agriculture and other industries that use heavy equipment hit a standstill. But one thing is clear: no matter how much you improve gas or diesel-powered equipment, you’ll never get to zero emissions with a combustion engine. 

That’s why Greenland Technologies Holding Corporation GTEC ditched diesel and started developing fully electric heavy equipment in 2021. Today, the leading transmission and drivetrain systems provider sells three of North America’s first commercially available all-electric heavy equipment under its subsidiary, HEVI. 

All Electric Heavy Equipment Offers A Zero Emission, Low Maintenance And Fully Powered Solution 

The quest for cleaner heavy equipment has been going on for decades. In the early 2000s, the California Air Resource Board (CARB) established the world’s first comprehensive regulatory and market framework for monitoring and enforcing emissions standards. That began a multi-phase process of developing more efficient trucks and equipment that produced fewer emissions. 

But there’s only so much you can clean up a combustion engine and as emissions standards become both stricter and more widespread, the need for an all-electric option is becoming increasingly urgent. 

While other well-known names in the industry like Komatsu, Deere DE and Caterpillar CAT are all working on developing all-electric versions of their tractors, excavators and other heavy equipment, they’re still a couple of years away from hitting the market according to HEVI COO Dana Hopkins.

“They’re still in that R&D pre-production,” Hopkins said in a fireside chat with Water Tower Research. “So they’re probably two years out before they’re ready for retail market retail orders.”

Meanwhile, HEVI has already brought three fully electric equipment lines to the market: loaders, excavators and forklifts. And Hopkins said there are more in development, including a tracked excavator expected to launch by the end of this summer. 

The battery-powered equipment produces zero operating emissions and requires less maintenance than their combustion engine counterparts. This makes them a key choice for companies that want to future-proof their operations no matter what shape future emissions standards take. But it also makes them a more cost-effective option as less maintenance means both less maintenance costs — an estimated 60% less, according to HEVI — and less downtime in the field. 

Despite their many benefits, Hopkins said HEVI has faced its fair share of skepticism from the industries it serves. Namely, the misconception that electric equipment just doesn’t pack the same punch as diesel-powered equipment. 

“They’re comparing it to electric lawnmowers they get from Home Depot because that’s their point of reference,” Hopkins said. But HEVI equipment is no electric lawnmower. The GEL-5000 wheel loader, for example, is fully electric and boasts a five-ton lifting capacity. 

The next frontier is automation. “Over the past three years or so, there’s been a big growth in precision construction technology,” Hopkins said. “Utilizing sensors on the different cutting edges, in different parts of the machines, connected to satellites or connected with local lasers to ensure that the machines are operating within a tenth of an accuracy.” 

That kind of precision is going to require better automation and more accurate technology. So HEVI has partnered with Cyngn, Inc. CYN to develop a new line of fleet management technology. That includes the Cyngn Infinitracker that now comes pre-installed in all HEVI equipment. The device uses GPS, 5G and LTE to track the equipment wherever it goes while built-in sensors monitor temperature and other equipment conditions so companies can keep track of both the location and condition of their equipment. 

The two tech companies are also working on new self-driving features to make HEVI forklifts, loaders and excavators that can operate autonomously. 

Featured photo courtesy of HEVI Corp. 

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