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Betting on Autonomous, Electric Construction Equipment

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2/23/2018

Electric vehicles (EVs) are surging on construction jobsites. This is due to a number of big trends that are taking place today and changing the way the construction industry operates.

Fuel efficiency is a top priority for many construction firms, as it enables a business to save a significant amount of cost in the long run. Now, as vehicles and equipment advances, contractors have new options.

EVs Bring Cost Savings

There are a number of changes happening in the industry that are impacting the use of EVs. For one, mining construction. Here, more than 90 percent of the world’s mines are open cast. They are also often in remote locations where shipping diesel can cost more than buying it. As such, there is now a move to have 350 kW haul trucks working the floor and the top of the mine with electric rail-veyors lifting the ore, according to IDTechEx.

The firm also says electric enables pollution laws to be met while at the same time reducing costs, and adhering to yet another growing trend in construction. Today, pure electric is a requirement indoors and fuel savings and better performance are making it a more attractive option for outdoor uses as well.

Research Advances

Technology is also advancing very rapidly as well. The next iteration of this could be autonomous electric vehicles. This trend is something that is starting to be explored in other industries and could soon make its way to the construction industry as well.

For instance, Volvo and Nanyang Technological University have signed an agreement on a research and development program for autonomous electric buses.

While this won’t directly impact the industry today, it is the next evolution of electric and could dramatically alter how work is done in the not so distant future.

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