CUMMINS
CUMMINS DISCUSS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF ELECTRIC EXCAVATORS IN CONSTRUCTION
The construction industry has more than 733,000 employers and over 7 million employees. It is a top contributor to the U.S. economy, generating nearly $1.4 trillion worth of structures each year. And according to the United Nations Environment Program, buildings and their construction together account for more than 35% of global energy use and nearly 40% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions annually.
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s the world is faced with the climate crisis, the construction industry has to find ways to adopt greener energy solutions. It is a critical challenge to ensure the momentum of transformation for lowering construction emissions does not slow. Cummins builds a pathway to more sustainable construction In 2018, Hyundai Construction Equipment and Cummins announced that they would jointly develop electric-powered mini excavators. Since then, prototypes of the mini excavators have been developed and the two companies have gathered initial market feedback and continue to refine the product for target customer usecases. Now, Hyundai and Cummins are moving this long-term, productive partnership into its next phase – field testing. During this phase, prototypes of a production intent design are handed over to customers to gain real world experience and to test and validate the adoptability of electric-powered mini excavators against the needs of those customers. Field testing plays an essential role in delivering best-inclass solutions that meet or exceed the durability and reliability expectations that Hyundai and Cummins are recognized for in the industry. Field testing is an essential piece in delivering best-in-class solutions and demonstrates how we are always
02 - Construction Equipment - MARCH 2022
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innovating for safety and performance. Duplicating real-world environment testing under Hyundai’s operating conditions and duty cycles, we will monitor the mini excavators’ adoptability, performance and reliability. Why are excavators a good candidate for electrification? Zero-emissions As stricter standards for zero-emissions continue to arise, even off-highway applications have begun to feel the push to lower their CO2 emissions. Urban cities have started to implement zero-emission zones (ZEZ) that require any vehicle, onor off-highway, to comply with the area’s regulations. For this reason, construction zones in urban cities have sought out electrified products, such as electric excavators, that match or exceed the reliability and performance of their diesel counterparts. These electric excavators are now considered invaluable for indoor construction sites, where the diesel counterparts were unable to function due to the fumes they emitted and poor ventilation.
