To assist alleviate the apprehension of transitioning from diesel to electrical tools, Caterpillar plans to retain possession of the batteries in all of its 301.9 battery electrical mini excavators.
When the machine turns into commercially available, Cat will make use of a Battery as a Service (BaaS) gross sales mannequin. By retaining possession of the battery, the shopper won’t be liable for malfunctions
Instead of being offered as a part of the machine, the battery will likely be offered on a subscription foundation. Caterpillar is designing and manufacturing the battery and can get rid of the ability supply a the tip of its lifespan.
“We own the battery, it’s a lease. If any problems arise with that battery, then that’s on us. We will swap that battery out whether you’re a dealer, or whether you’re an end user,” stated Caterpillar Product Specialist Greg Worley. “We’re trying to take out all of those obstacles of the transition from diesel to electric.”
The 301.9 battery electrical mini excavator made its first North American look at ConExpo in March as a prototype show. In September, Cat provided potential customers the chance to check the machine throughout The Utility Expo.
Worley defined battery dependability is a standard concern he has heard from operators at commerce reveals.
“That’s the good side of BaaS. It’s removing that roadblock by providing peace of mind. It sort of gets rid of that anxiety around what will happen if the battery breaks down,” Worley stated.
Prevention through telematics
The mini excavator’s telematics system permits Cat to observe battery situation. If the battery requires upkeep, Worley defined Cat will know earlier than the operator.
“We know the health and status of the battery all the way through. So, our back office will know all of that long before somebody on the machine does. And if we see something going wrong, we will let them know they need bring the machine in to swap the battery out,” he stated.
301.9 efficiency
The barely heavier 301.9 battery electrical mini excavator delivers almost an identical specs as its diesel-powered counterpart, the 301.8. Both machines characteristic a 2.5 metre dig depth, a 3.9 metre most attain and hydraulic pump circulate of 66 litres per minute.
The battery-powered model will doubtless be available in a cover configuration, with out air-conditioning.
“Our design intent from day one was to provide a machine that is the same or similar performance to diesel. And we’ve done that,” Worley stated. “What most people operating the machine overwhelmingly said is they’re surprised; they didn’t know a battery machine could operate like a diesel machine.”
Equipped with a 32-kW battery, the 301.9 mini excavator can present about 5 hours of steady runtime, which Worley defined is ready to meet the wants of lots of the finish customers that personal the diesel-powered model.
More electrification information:
“If we look at the stats for our diesel version of this, it’s being used for 40 to 60 per cent of an eight-hour shift,” he stated.
Charging the electrical mini excavator is feasible through a regular 110-volt home socket, a 240-volt single part outlet or a DC charger. A typical 110-volt outlet would require quite a few hours to cost the machine. However, Worley defined 240-volt single part is instantly available in lots of places.
“Most people have a 240-volt socket if they have a welder in the workshop. And even in a domestic house, your oven or your dryer all runs on single phase 240 volts. So, it’s readily available,” he stated.
The DC charger is the quickest possibility, offering as much as three hours of runtime in 60 minutes, and makes use of the 240-volt singe part connection.
Battery consultations
When the 301.9 battery electrical mini excavator turns into commercially available, Cat plans to step right into a marketing consultant function to assist clients decide if electrical is the correct instrument for the job.
“What we’re gearing it to is sort of qualifying it. This isn’t going to replace diesel totally. There are certain applications where this doesn’t fit,” Worley stated.
One of the qualifiers will likely be whether or not the job could be accomplished on a single cost.
“The infrastructure is not really in place at job sites around the world to support charging multiple machines, let alone one machine,” Worley stated.
For instance, within the utility trade, some contractors are putting in the infrastructure required to create a grid, whereas others are hooking new clients as much as the grid.
“On the utility hookups side, customers have told to us they will only use a machine for about three hours a day. This very well could be perfect for them and get them into electrification,” Worley stated.
By laying out a examine checklist of qualifiers, Cat is aiming to make sure contractors have a great first expertise with battery electrical machines.
“We want to keep developing this market, for the future and for the world, and give them a great experience,” Worley stated. “We’re trying to be good custodians of the electric industry within the construction business.”
Electric mini excavator availability
The mini excavator is predicted to start out arriving at Cat dealerships in California and Europe on the finish of the primary quarter of 2024 as a rental machine.
After Cat opinions its knowledge from the rental interval, the machine might enter the retail market a couple of months down the street.
Canada can doubtless anticipate to see the 301.9 battery electrical mini excavator late in 2024.
