cased in the Volvo CE booth at last year ’ s Utility Expo . The two companies just announced a partnership in which Volvo CE North American dealers can bundle the ARC system with the purchase of its electric equipment .
Electric charging requires a thinking reset , Wheatley said . While fast chargers seem attractive , their use is driven by the experience at the fuel pump . “ If a machine has access to a charger during idle times , you can just top it off like you do with your cell phone ,” he said . “ You just charge it whenever you ’ re not using it and not wait until it ’ s empty .”
Aiding this approach will be the advent of wireless job site charging , Wheatley said . With the addition of a ruggedized receiver to the bottom of a machine , instead of being plugged up it could charge while parked over a charging pad . “ The wiring is already basically in place , you ’ ve just got to extend it to the underside of the vehicle ,” he said .
Whatever their eventual form , electric charging systems will likely be primarily rental items , Wheatley
The Bottom Line “ Widespread adoption of electric equipment starts when it becomes economically viable ,” Gallant said . “ But everyone seems to be willing to see where it develops , and that ’ s encouraging .”
Construction can be a “ fast follower ” to the EV advances made in the automotive sector , Grabau said . In the meantime , Moog uses high efficiency servo motors and electric cylinders to give the best run time and lowest battery cost .
“ While we ’ re going to produce diesel equipment for a long time , there are customers and applications that really want this new EV technology ,” Honeyman said .
About the Association of Equipment Manufacturers ( AEM )
AEM is the North America-based international trade group representing off-road equipment manufacturers and suppliers with more than 1,000 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture and construction-related industry sectors worldwide . The equipment manufacturing industry in the United States supports 2.8 million jobs and contributes roughly $ 288 billion to the economy every year . •
8 NCP Magazine • October 2022