2 minute read
From the Editor
FUEL PRICES DRIVE GROWING INTEREST IN ALTERNATIVE FUEL OPTIONS
Ican’t speak for anyone else, but I suspect I’m not the only person driving past gas stations and glancing down at the fuel gauge with mild fear and annoyance these days. A perfect storm of situations has cascaded through the oil supply system, and situations far beyond anyone’s control have driven fuel prices from high to ludicrous in very short order.
The truth of the matter is that prices are going to slowly, steadily, and inexorably move upwards. Between that fact and the growing need to cut back on emissions to reduce the impacts of climate change, it is becoming more and more evident that all powered equipment – cars, trucks, machinery – needs to move away from fossil fuels and towards sustainable energy sources of some sort.
Thankfully there have been a steady stream of programs exploring alternative energy focused on the heavy construction sector, which is a challenging area to pull away from diesel use at its core. Diesel is an efficient fuel for powering heavy equipment, but its cost is increasing, and continued regulation moves to cut emissions will eventually push other options into place.
Electrification is making some inroads in the off-road space.
In this issue, I write about Terra EV, which is building rugged vocational trucks for mining and aggregates applications with battery-electric power. The Western Star–based trucks are intended for hauling and similar tasks, with fast charging available to cut fuel costs and emissions. Mining giant Teck will be using one of their trucks at Highland Valley Copper, in central
B.C., hauling concentrate to a rail loading facility.
Editor in Chief Kaitlyn Till takes a deep dive into another new battery-electric machine, the Bobcat T7X compact track loader. It’s the latest in a string of earthmoving machines that are moving towards electric power, a trend that is certain to continue in smaller machines. Larger units, though, are likely to need more options.
As part of our in-depth feature on backhoe loaders, Editorial
Director Arturo Santiago asked manufacturers about their alternative fuel plans. There are several electric backhoes in testing, but JCB has taken a different tack: they are exploring hydrogen in backhoes as well as larger machines. These options are showing some promise in reducing fuel cost and emissions for larger equipment, and explorations are well underway.
There’s an interesting future for alternative fuels, and how manufacturers approach it will also prove interesting. Cummins, for example, has announced that it will offer fuel-agnostic solutions for its engines targeted at trucks: below the head gasket the engine model will be the same across the board, while above the customer or OEM can choose options for diesel, natural gas, or hydrogen.
For Cummins, the goal is to provide customers an opportunity for incremental change into lower-carbon options. As we move towards decarbonization and watch soaring fuel prices continue their climb, strategies like these may make all the difference.
Lee Toop
Editor
ltoop@baumpub.com heavyequipmentguide.ca
