A powerful, electrified piece of heavy equipment has emerged from White Marsh in Maryland.
HEVI touts the latest addition to its all-battery lineup as the largest electric wheel loader in North America to date, per the company website.
And photos of the loader, shared by the company and Electrek, make it easy to see why. The H65L has an operating weight of 48,281 pounds. It has a rated load of 14,330 pounds and a bucket that can hold 5.5 cubic yards, all per the specs.
But it's the impressive battery performance that steals the show.
"This marks another major achievement for us," HEVI CEO Raymond Wang told Electrek. "The purpose-designed H65L meets customer demands with extended runtime, faster charging, and cutting-edge display technology."
The lithium-iron phosphate, or LFP, power pack leverages chemistry touted by Visual Capitalist as being safer, having a longer life cycle, costing less, and being more environmentally sustainable when compared to common lithium-ion batteries. The pack type is being developed by Volvo parent company Geely, among numerous other brands, as well.
For HEVI, the LFP delivers an air-pollution-free operation with low noise and reduced costs, thanks to avoiding diesel and certain maintenance expenses, per the company. Eliminating exhaust is important, as exposure to diesel fumes is associated with lung, heart, and other diseases, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
What's more, the machine shouldn't leave operators powerless on a job site. The battery can provide energy for nine hours. Electrek reports that using a direct current fast charger for two-and-a-half hours can boost the battery from 10% to 80%. A full charge is possible in four hours. If using an AC plug, the loader would charge fully overnight, all per Electrek.
It also has some other goodies operators should enjoy, like a climate-controlled cab and a noise level akin to a vacuum cleaner, the report adds.
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"The game-changing H65L delivers high performance," Wang said in the Electrek story.
Other brands are also developing electric heavy equipment for tough jobs most people might think are beyond the ability of battery power.
For example, China's SANY has an electric excavator that is at work in Europe. Meanwhile, Japan's Komatsu has developed a jumbo drill and roof bolter made to work in tough hardrock mining environments.
The innovations build on the already robust electric vehicle sector. Nearly one-fifth of vehicles sold globally last year were battery powered, according to the International Energy Agency. U.S. tax credits worth up to $7,500 for EVs are making them more affordable. That's on top of the approximately $1,500 motorists can save annually on gas and maintenance costs.
"This is an important expansion of our fast growing industrial electric vehicle portfolio," Wang said in the Electrek story.
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