E-Mobility Engineering 017 l ECE Doosan electric excavators dossier l In Conversation: Matt Faulks l Battery testing focus l Battery Show North America 2022 report l Ariel Hipercar digest l Cathode materials insight l Thermal management focus

Digging deep Rory Jackson provides an in-depth report on how these heavy-duty excavators were converted to electric operation T he construction industry is a major focus for many parties intent on fighting pollution and climate change, and with good reason: studies over the past few years estimate that construction contributes just shy of 40% of the world’s output of greenhouse gases. That figure, combined with the growing impetus to protect construction workers against the detrimental health effects of IC engine emissions, is shaping the industry’s demands and future regulations to favour low-carbon vehicles. While some responses to these changes take the form of LNG- and CNG-powered vehicles, which do lower emission outputs relative to diesel powertrains, electrifying construction equipment means eliminating all greenhouse gases at the point of use, so it’s the ultimate way to stay ahead of tightening carbon restrictions. While producing electric construction vehicles is challenging, given the heavy-duty applications for them, the market could be worth hundreds of billions once regulations begin coming into effect, making their ownership an urgent necessity for new building projects. It also means an enormous reduction in part counts and hence ownership costs for vehicle owners by swapping out IC engines for electrified powertrains. Small wonder then that electric conversions of excavator systems are now commercially available, thanks in part to Netherlands- based Electric Construction Equipment (ECE). ECE is a subsidiary of Staad Group, which imports and distributes diesel- powered Doosan earth-moving vehicles. As ECE’s full name implies, it is responsible for providing electrified versions of the Doosan machinery, which are converted from IC engine power to battery-electric power at ECE’s facilities before being sold on to its clients. Some of these are large European construction companies, although ECE finds higher demand coming from the smaller subcontractors that work on behalf of the bigger firms. Through rigorous r&d, both in- house and with key partners such as Webasto, ECE can now provide electric versions of different Doosan construction excavators. The two largest and most powerful of these are the DX165W Electric – which weighs roughly 17 t, has a bucket capacity of 0.64 m³, and can dig down to depths of 5.02 m – and the DX300LC Electric, a 34 t excavator with a 1.27 m³ bucket and a digging depth of 7.3 m. ECE has re-engineered Doosan’s excavators to conform with all future limitations on point-of-use emissions as The DX300LC Electric is an electrified Doosan construction vehicle weighing 34 t with a 1.27 m³ bucket (Images courtesy of ECE unless otherwise stated) 20 January/February 2023 | E-Mobility Engineering