Why?
- We are in a climate emergency and need to eliminate all carbon burning operations immediately.
- It is more efficient
- Cheaper operational expenses because there are less moving parts to maintain, no oil to change, etc.
- No need to haul in or go get fuel
- Less air pollution
- Less noise pollution
In case you think this is just pie in the sky and not realistic, here is a list of all electric heavy duty construction equipment and their manufacturers.
- Crane Crawler by Liebherr
- Excavator by Caterpillar
- Mini-excavator by Hitachi
- Mini-Skid Steer by Cratos
And in case you think this is just not possible Check out Oslo where they are piloting zero emissions construction sites and contemplating a requirement for zero emissions construction for all new buildings.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-norway-climate-change-construction-idUSKBN28Q0LY
However, while it is only a matter of time, it is also a matter of time… Unfortunately, since electrical tethers are not acceptable for this type of equipment it appears that batteries are the limiting factor. The lack of battery supply is limiting the ability of manufacturers to produce the equipment in the volumes necessary to make widespread electrical construction equipment viable at this point in time.
https://insideevs.com/news/487412/tesla-480-battery-cell-plant-berlin-timeline/
https://www.geotab.com/white-paper/heavy-duty-fleet-electrification-trends/