Consider these details if a mini battery-powered excavator is right for you and your company.

In response to the growing – dare we say demand - for construction equipment to address environmental challenges and climate change, the move from fossil fuel-powered machinery to the electrification of the construction jobsite will likely only increase. Likewise, more – and better – innovations in the technologies involved will also continue. Following the lessons learned from the electric vehicles on our roads and highways, one of the machines that have benefited from this electrification is the electric compact excavator.

Would a battery-powered compact excavator meet your needs? What factors should you consider in an electric compact excavator? Which key specifications of a battery-powered compact excavator should you be sure to understand? We examine these below.

Consider the following when investing in a new battery-powered compact excavator and comparing it to a combustion-engine version. It’s common for specs for both the diesel and electric compact excavators to be nearly identical. That said, remember to double-check available attachments and torque capabilities to make sure it meets your needs.

• The pound class of a machine you need. Ensure the compact excavator fits the application and is capable to complete the jobs you have planned for it. The operating weight will also likely be slightly more with a battery-powered machine
• Operating hours. How long are you running your machines in idle vs working?
• Refueling is now recharging. Where and how will you recharge the machine? Keep in mind that charging from a diesel/gas generator would contradict the environmental benefits of a battery-powered compact excavator.
• Noise levels on the jobsite.
• Exhaust and emission generation for potential indoor work.

The battery-powered compact excavator is one of the latest innovations in the evolution of the compact excavator machine concept. The technology is young and available options are currently unfortunately quite limited, but production is ramping up. However, the electric compact excavator is a trend contractors should keep an eye on as early adopters are already taking advantage of the benefits. Expect battery-powered versions of these machines to be more prevalent within the decade.

Key benefits include the capability to work indoors or in other emission-sensitive settings creates less noise and reduces engine maintenance.

One of the significant benefits for “going electric” is the removal of all engine-based maintenance and the cost savings that follow suit. While general maintenance on the hydraulics and the daily visual walk-around inspection will still need to happen, since the electronic system replaces the mechanical engine there will be no need for refueling, fuel filter changes, oil filter changes, etc. According to their estimates, the maintenance cost for contractors could be reduced by up to 35%, says Lars Arnold, Product Manager for Volvo Construction Equipment Electric Machines.

This represents a significant change in the mindset of operations. Instead of the logistics of refueling, you will have to plan for recharging – how and when. Battery-powered mini excavators should need only a 240-volt outlet (preferred, but 110V would work). There are solar and battery pack options available on the market to set up at the remote jobsite should a dedicated network be unavailable.

“Instead of thinking about fueling and engine maintenance, fuel filters, and oil changes,” says Arnold. “[The contractor] only needs to think about having a 110V - preferably 240 - volt outlet to charge the machine.”

Part of this mindset change is rethinking horsepower to the kilowatt. As electric machines become more commonplace within tomorrow’s construction jobsites, the more you’ll see kW take the place of horsepower. However, one can convert to obtain an equivalent of each to help inform your decision. The kilowatt is a “unit measuring electrical energy and equal to 1,000 watts. 

For example, the demand for electricity of each of your home appliances is measured in kilowatts. A kilowatt of energy can be converted to 1.341 horsepower, the common unit of energy in internal combustion engines.” To convert horsepower to kilowatt, one needs to multiple the HP by 0.73549878. The kilowatt-hour (kWh) is “a unit of energy equal to one kilowatt of power sustained for one hour. This measurement is used to determine the amount of power consumed over time and battery capacity.”

Consider a standard compact excavator sitting on the jobsite, idling, and accumulating running hours. An electric compact excavator, on the other hand, accumulates operating hours only when truly in operation. For example, if a conventional compact excavator has 1,000 work hours but spent 45% of that in idle – that means the machine has only been productive for 550 operating hours. The battery-powered system eliminates this by accumulating hours only when the electric motors are running.

While operating a battery-powered compact excavator, Arnold says that many owners say that it feels more powerful, something likely associated with how responsive an electric system is compared to diesel. He explains, “An electric motor has instant torque. For example, on the ECR25 Electric, as soon as I move a function…the electric motor kicks on instantly. There's no lag. It's the feeling of instant power all the time.”

Ultimately, as long as the system is charged, a battery-powered electric compact excavator should be capable of accomplishing anything you need. The need for the battery machines is growing, says Bart DeHaven, of KATO-CES. Unfortunately, the cost as compared to their diesel counterparts might be a hurdle for the time being.