Electrification of mobile machines

Electrification of mobile machines

Steffen Mutschler and his team electrify excavators, harvesters, sweepers, and tractors. In the podcast, he explains the market and the technology. We summarize the most important statements.

What are the drivers of the electrification of mobile machines?

We have identified two drivers for the electrification of mobile machines. Many end customers want to reduce the local emissions of the machines - in construction sites in the city center, for example. This has long been an issue in underground mining, but demand is also increasing from ports and airports. The second driver is the reduction in consumption. We are talking about hybrid machines here. According to calculations, we can save up to 40 percent in forestry thanks to the combination of electric drives and diesel engines.

There are other aspects too, right?

Yes, it is not just the reduction of exhaust emissions that is crucial for customers. Another positive side effect of electric drive technology is that it causes fewer noise emissions. This means that in the future, work on construction sites in the city center can begin as early as seven o'clock. The customer is much more flexible. And farmers are also discovering electrification. Not for combine harvesters, but for the small tractors or telehandlers on the farm. Many farmers can charge their electric vehicles for free, thanks to photovoltaics on the roof. Feed-in tariffs are falling and many farmers are asking themselves, what we will do with the electricity. Self-use is an obvious choice.

How is the market developing?

The market for electrification is slowly gaining momentum. Manufacturers have recently presented many prototypes at trade fairs. Now we are feeling the demand. Emissions guidelines are putting pressure on suppliers and users. And subsidies also play an important role.

Steffen Mutschler explains in the podcast conversation how electrification impacts daily work, why he and his team are the right partners for electrification, and the role of software in this process.