Is electric a better choice than diesel power for mini excavators?

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As the current construction industry’s requirements for carbon emissions become increasingly stringent, the types of electric mini excavators on the market are also increasing.

It is true that the zero-emission and noiseless characteristics of electric mini excavators provide them with undoubted advantages, but many voices have also raised questions-“Are they really a better choice than diesel vehicles?”

Dr. James Jeffs, senior technical analyst at IDTechEx, a well-known British research and consulting company, raised such a question. According to IDTechEx’s forecast, the electric construction machinery market is about to “take off”, and it is expected that the 10-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR, which refers to the annual growth rate of an investment during a specific period) will reach 37%. Although the starting base is small, It is worth noting that the sales volume of electric motors is much lower than that of diesel engines.

In terms of quantity, small excavators have the largest market share, and their small size and light weight have also made them an ideal choice for electrification.

Komatsu PC 01 mini excavator

Komatsu PC 01 mini excavator

Electric small diggers are more easily accepted by users

Today, we will take a look at the 3 reasons given in the IDTechEx research report why electric motors should be a more acceptable choice for users than diesel engines.

1. Same or better performance

IDTechEx claims that compared with diesel engines, electric motors have “equal or even higher power”. The report takes the JCB19C-IE as an example. Its motor has a peak power of 20kW, which is about 33% higher than the power of the diesel engine in the IDTechEx database and “nearly twice” the 11.7kW of JCB’s equivalent diesel engine. The report also found that electric mini excavators can operate continuously for 6 to 8 hours, “enough to get most operators through a normal work day.”

JCB19C-IE

JCB19C-IE

2. Better working environment

Research from IDTechEx points to zero emissions as a key benefit of transitioning to electric devices. With an open cab like the Xiaodig, the air quality to which the excavator operator and surrounding workers are exposed can be very poor, the report said. In contrast, zero-emission electric equipment will improve the working environment for construction workers “by improving air quality.”

3. Cheaper

The report says electric motors can “significantly reduce total cost of ownership” compared to diesel engines. According to IDTechEx, although batteries increase the cost of manufacturing and purchasing vehicles, as OEMs such as Caterpillar, John Deere and XCMG mass-produce and promote more electric products, the cost of batteries is increasing. Gradually decreases”. IDTechEx predicts that owners of electric mini excavators “can expect to see a return on investment within 6 to 8 years” thanks to reduced maintenance and fuel costs.

JCB electric small digger

JCB electric small digger

Challenges faced by electric small diggers

While few dispute that electric excavators can provide construction workers with a better working environment through cleaner air, at present, electric mini excavators cannot fully replace diesel excavators.

First, it is not inevitable that battery prices will continue to fall. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s survey of lithium-ion batteries in 2022, although the cost of lithium-ion batteries has continued to decline from 2010 to 2021, prices in 2022 have increased by 7% compared with 2021. As the market for on-road electric vehicles expands, input costs rise and demand increases, there is no guarantee that battery prices will continue to fall.

Second, in terms of performance, the peak power of the motor may be higher, but IDTechEx quotes a continuous power of 9kW for the JCB19C-IE. This allows for a better comparison of the performance of the two in terms of digging force. In this regard, Dr. Jeffs conducted additional analysis on the digging force and found that the electric motor is also competitive compared with the diesel engine. “To be fair, the electric motor has comparable performance to a diesel engine but is not as powerful as the electric motor peak would suggest,” said Dr. Jeffs.

Third, when asked whether the motor can really work continuously for 6 to 8 hours in a normal environment or lower temperature when fully charged, Dr. Jeffs said: “This is based on the original equipment manufacturer’s statement. They may choose a more modest duty cycle when measuring a device’s endurance (duty cycle is the proportion of time a periodic event is active, usually expressed as a percentage). Under sustained heavy use, The working time of most machines does not reach 8 hours. The impact of low temperature on electric equipment is well known. Currently, manufacturers have not discussed this issue in the literature of electric equipment, and it may affect 10%~20% operation hours.”

Komatsu electric small digger

Komatsu electric small digger

When it comes to charging, rented equipment can be charged overnight at a warehouse if it’s only needed for a day, but many construction tasks can take more than a day, leaving them parked on site while they wait. Where there is no grid connection at the site, diesel generators may be used for charging.

But Dr. Jeffs believes that some electric mini excavators have special options that allow users to have as much range as possible when working in small areas. He also stressed that most devices won’t take more than an hour to charge. “That means they can charge over their lunch break. Of course, it’s easy to charge overnight.”

Regarding how to derive the total ownership cost payback period of electric mini excavators is 6 to 8 years, Dr. Jeffs explained: “The investment period of 6 to 8 years is based on IDTechEx’s research on electric equipment in the 2-ton range, which is comparable to diesel engines. Compared to electric equipment, electric equipment costs $10,000 to $15,000 more. This estimate is based on fuel and maintenance savings and the time it would take for the price to increase to equalize.”