Material handling: Considering the alternatives

As recyclers have returned to in-person trade fairs and events this year, among the equipment on display have been new electric or hybrid-powered mobile material handling models.

Caterpillar Inc. brought four such machines to the BAUMA trade fair in Germany in late October: an electric 301.9 mini excavator; a 320 medium excavator; a 950 GC medium wheel loader; and a 906 compact wheel loader.

The machines are powered by Caterpillar battery prototypes and include an onboard AC charger. An offboard DC fast-charging option also is planned, according to the company.

Caterpillar, headquartered in the U.S., says the machines’ lithium-ion batteries feature a modular design for flexible configuration across multiple applications and are engineered to be scalable to industry and customer needs while maximizing sustainability throughout their life cycles, including end-of-life recycling and reuse.

“Caterpillar is well-positioned to help customers reach their sustainability goals, including lowering emissions on the job site,” says Tony Fassino of Caterpillar. “It’s important we meet customers on their sustainability journey today with a variety of solutions, including machines that run on renewable fuels or technology that increases fuel efficiency, as well as supporting them into the future as we power our next generation of machines.”

The company says it expects the 301.9 mini excavator and 906 compact wheel loader to be the first commercially available lithium-ion battery-powered models.

Sennebogen introduced its 835 G Hybrid material handler last year. The Germany-based company calls the machine the start of the new G series generation of machines. The 835 G features a 188-kilowatt Stage V diesel engine and what Sennebogen is calling its Green Hybrid energy recovery system.

The new handler’s diesel engine is supplemented by the Green Hybrid technology “which considerably increases the system’s overall operational performance,” Sennebogen says. The machine gains additional working speed and increased handling performance while offering a reduction of around 30 percent in fuel costs, according to the company.

Sennebogen says the 835 G Hybrid also is available in an electric-powered version. “This can also reduce operating costs by up to 50 percent, [while] the environmentally-friendly, emission-free electric motor offers low-noise and vibration-free operation even in the most demanding of situations,” the company says.

Global equipment maker Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) last month announced it had upgraded its zero-emissions, low-noise L20 and L25 Electric compact wheel loaders with enhanced uptime, versatility and operator comfort in mind.

The updates include increasing the maximum speed to 12.4 mph, the option to include a parallel linkage that delivers high breakout torque in various applications, additional operator-friendly features and improved charging.“ As the first commercially available, fully electric wheel loaders on the market, the L25 Electric and L20 Electric were already unique,” Volvo CE Electromobility Product Manager Lars Arnold says. “These upgrades take them to another level with improved comfort, productivity and uptime.”

Both the L20 and L25 offer zero exhaust emissions, lower noise and similar performance compared with diesel equivalents.

Forklift trucks have long had battery-power options, but lift truck maker Toyota Material Handling (TMH) this year launched an updated version of its 3-Wheel Electric Forklift.

Energy-efficient improvements offer 40 percent longer run time on a single charge. A slope-sensing auto power mode automatically switches power mode to maintain speed while traveling up a slope. An optional Toyota lithium-Ion battery minimizes maintenance costs and downtime for improved productivity.

With many recyclers (and their customers) actively monitoring their carbon footprints, the parade of energy-efficient new models and upgrades is poised to continue in 2023.