By the middle of 2019, Mecalac’s all-electric e12 wheel excavator will be ready for delivery, according to Alexandre Marchetta, director general of the family business.
The company introduced a hybrid back in 2006 but all-electric is now the preferred option. “This is definitely the direction that the company wants to go in,” said Marchetta.
The e12 has variable voltage charging capacity from 220 to 380V and it is capable of a full eight-hour working day at the same capacity as the equivalent diesel model, he said.
Electrically-powered machines come at a cost. But Mecalac believes that the price of the batteries will be offset by the saving in diesel fuel.
As a fast-developing technology, the batteries should be getting cheaper in the next five years, well within the useful lifetime of a machine bought when they arrive on the market.
