Komatsu Electric was a Hit at Hillhead

Komatsu’s PC210LCE-11 electric powered 21-24-tonne class hydraulic excavator was generating a lot of interest on the Marubeni-Komatsu stand at Hillhead.

It does feel like this machine has been around for a long time already, having seen it at various trade shows around the world most notably Bauma 2022 in Munich.

It’s an interesting machine, and still looks relatively stylish by design compared to some of the other bulky and box like looking other brands of larger electric excavators on the market.

The machine features lithium-ion battery technology developed in association with Proterra. The battery has a capacity of 451kWh which depending on work being undertaken, can offer up to 8 hours of continuous operation.

These machines have been designed not only for their green credentials but also to provide the operators with a much more comfortable working environment, with less noise, zero exhaust emissions, and significantly less vibration.

Scandinavian countries have been quicker to adopt electric machines in the construction industry, but I feel there is still a long way to go to convince those customers in the UK market that it’s the way to go.

But I foresee a situation like we saw with tiltrotators, a slow burner to start with, but then once they start to become more common and people realise the long-term benefits, we may see a snowball affect in sales, at some point in the future.

Judging by the amount of people I saw investigating the machine at Hillhead, it could be quicker than we think.