Electrification of Excavators: Electrical configurations, carbon footprint, and cost assessment of retrofit solutions

Abstract

Technology for the electrification of transport is currently undergoing rapid development that is necessary for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. On a global level, the transport sector is responsible for around 12% of the world’s GHG emissions. While the introduction of battery-electric cars is leading the way in terms of commercial scale, developments are also progressing toward electrification of heavy-duty vehicles for road freight transport and coastal transport by battery-electric ships. The performance of modern Li-ion batteries is also enabling electrification of other types of machines and small vehicles that have traditionally been powered by internal combustion engines (ICEs). However, until recently, the developments toward electrification have been mainly directed toward applications with either a large market for series-produced vehicles, such as electric cars, or a high degree of individual engineering for each unit, such as battery-electric ships. Still, there are several application areas where other types of vehicles and machines contribute significantly to GHG emissions.