Unlike electric cars, commercial electric vehicles have been in almost continuous use for the past 100 years. Electric motors have powered vehicles from forklifts to the world’s biggest earth moving machines. We’ll touch on a few of the big rigs.
When you want a lot of instant torque, check out an electric vehicle. Many of the world’s biggest earth moving machines are electric powered.
The Krupp Bagger 288 is currently the largest earth moving machine in the world. It uses 16.56 Megawatts of electricity. For comparison, the Tesla Roadster has a 185 KW rated motor…about 5.4 Teslas per Megawatt. So, the Bagger 288 uses (5.4 x 16.56) the electricity of about 90 Tesla Roadsters running wide open! Ironic that this electric power is used mostly to mine coal.
Other huge electric earth moving machines include the Bucyrus 495HR with a 120 Ton bucket and the P&H 4100XPC with a 115 Ton bucket. Some history of the diesel/electric Apollo Mover: Though these machines are hardly friendly to the surface of the Earth, they are reportedly less polluting than their
diesel counterparts.
From the PH Mining folks: “Due in large part to the greater mechanical efficiencies inherent in electric shovels versus hydraulic excavators, electric shovels produce about 43% less greenhouse gases than their diesel-powered counterparts”.
In terms of big rig trucks for hauling, several companies are also taking advantage of electric power in moving large loads. It turns out that electric trucks have long made sense for drayage and other local heavy lifting chores.
Recently in the news you may have seen the story about EVI in California. EVI is now setting up a plant to manufacture electric trucks. Electric trucks offsetting diesel rigs can only help improve air quality in the central valley of CA.
Another major truck manufacturer recently setting up shop is the UK Company Smith EV. Smith Electric Vehicles US Corp has just produced their first rig, and will be making more. They have announced that they will set up 20 regional assembly plants across the country.
Yet another manufacturer of big rigs for inner city delivery, port use, rail yards and general drayage is Balqon. Looking at their trucks, you might never know they were electric except for the missing large exhaust systems found on other big rigs.
The UK based Modec is designing and producing several streamlined large delivery vans. Navistar is borrowing from Modec designs to produce the E-Star delivery van for the likes of FedEx.
