Cummins has equipped a quick-charging, electric mini excavator prototype with its electric power systems, reinforcing its move to alternative power solutions.
The prototype is based on a 3.5-ton Hyundai machine and will be on display at the Cummins’ stand at Bauma 2019.
Designed to support a full work shift and charge in under three hours, the mini excavator contains a total of eight Cummins-developed BM4.4E flexible battery modules, connected in series, each providing 4.4 kWh.
Mounted near the base of the vehicle, the batteries utilize Li-ion technology to extend the length of electric power available, and the modular design enables scalability of the battery to other off-highway applications.
Cummins’s executive director for electrified power, Julie Furber, said, “At Cummins our strategy is to develop diversified, dependable power solutions. With a 100-year-long track record of powering our customers’ success, Cummins will demonstrate once again to Bauma visitors that we are transforming our industries and innovating the latest alternative power solutions. We look forward to continuing to partner with companies like Hyundai to design and test the construction industry’s latest technologies.”
Urban-friendly
Combined, the eight battery modules provide a total power output of 35kWh, and being electric, the mini-excavator emits no gaseous emissions while noise is substantially reduced, compared with diesel-powered equivalents. As a result, the vehicle is ideal for use in urban and suburban construction environments.
Bauma 2019 takes place on April 8-14 at the Messe Munchen, in Munich, Germany, where, in addition to the electric prototype, Cummins will also be presenting its Stage V emission standard diesel-engine solutions. The company has engines and power units available from 75–503kW (100–675hp).
Interested in finding out more about the latest breakthroughs in electric industrial vehicles? Check out the Electric & Hybrid Industrial Vehicle Technology Conference, which takes place during iVT Expo, on February 13-14, 2019, in Cologne, Germany.
