克里斯: Thanks to its wide use in 矿业, 电动设备 uses well-established technology. It is also widely available - today, there are now electric options for what I would call the core product line for construction, 包括推土机, 挖掘机, 轮式装载机. So, when contractors are considering de-carbonizing their fleets, electric equipment is available to fill many of their niches.
克里斯: Electric equipment is a better fit for many jobs. Electric machinery will be an asset if you’re a landscaper working in urban or suburban settings where noise is an issue. Other immediate applications are underground spaces where you can’t have emissions – for example if you’re putting in a water main.
另一方面, you’re not likely to see the electric option on larger pieces of equipment, 至少在短期内是这样. I think contractors will develop incremental strategies to start with smaller equipment and expand their fleet to larger machines. The use of electrified equipment and strategies will help them win bids that might be lost with conventional equipment. A contractor could say, “for the first 1000 hours of this project, we won’t be burning any fuel.” We’re seeing more cases where this tips the balance.
克里斯: As people have seen with electric cars, electric machines are much simpler mechanically than diesel-powered machines, which translates into fewer problems and maintenance issues. Basically, you’re just maintaining a battery which has a life of approximately eight years.
The maintenance management gap between diesel and electric has also widened since tier-four emission control systems were introduced. When conventional machines with tier-four are not handled properly, that can increase the number of maintenance headaches.
The only caveat is that supporting electric machines requires a different skill set, so contractors must develop that competency. A major push for skill development and expertise is currently happening within 矿业, so the same thing will need to occur in construction. I’m encouraged by the adoption of smart control features on construction equipment, 例如自动分级. Just ten years ago, people were afraid to touch it, but today, everybody’s doing it.
克里斯: One of the trends we’ve seen is that customers are asking contractors to submit reports on how they plan to reduce their carbon footprint, especially when working with governments or large corporations with a prominent public profile. So if you’re running an entire fleet of tier-three and tier-four diesel-powered machines, you could be at risk of being eliminated from many jobs.
克里斯: The biggest overall challenge we hear about from contractors, 当然, is the perennial problem of recruiting workers. We also know that many younger generation operators are more inclined and interested in working for a company investing in sustainability. Another factor is that electrical equipment is more attractive to operators because it is relatively quiet and produces less vibration. So if you can tell a job applicant that you’ve got 17 electric-powered machines, I think that will make a difference in your recruiting efforts.
