In many ways, the powered access and handling sectors are ahead of the game when it comes to electrification in the region. That’s the good news. The less good news is that compared to other markets the utlitisation is far lower. The Access and Handling Summit last month was an opportunity to discuss why the market isn’t yet at the levels of Europe and China, where close to 80% of machines can be plugged in and charged.
According to Tim Whiteman, global branding director, Sinoboom, the rental sector can have a crucial role to play in changing the mindset of end-users and get more electric machines on sites.
“It is vital. It is crucial. I am trying to give the rental guys the confidence to believe that electric power and AWPs can deliver. They can do the work. Because if you’re thinking, “I’m not sure if it can really deliver on rough terrain”, you’re not going to recommend it.”
One of the major impediments to greater adoption in the region’s powered access sector is the lack of charging infrastructure in the market, and particularly on-site.
Although charging is seemingly not the insurmountable issue it is often betrayed as, (“in Europe they have over half of their machines electric, how do they get charged?”) if companies are prepared to work plugging in into their routines, electric machines still lack their champions in the market. Many end-users will cite early models with high failure rates have made them resistant to adopting the latest machines.
Antony Chalissery, regional sales manager, ME & Africa/LGMG, Lingong Heavy Machinery Pvt Ltd, believes in a vicious circle that some people will not be convinced until they have seen an electric machine perform. And they won’t see them perform, until they have taken the plunge.
Chalissery believes that the market is slowly shifting to electric but hasn’t yet fully appreciated the capabilities of the batteries that can bridge the gap in charging infrastructure that dogs the market. He is particularly enthusiastic about the potential of lithium-ion batteries which can sustain power for longer than other alternatives.
“We focus on lithium-ion batteries at LGMG,” he says. “Why not a lead acid battery, which is much cheaper compared to the lithium battery? The reason is, there are a few technical aspects to it. For instance, if you charge a lead-acid battery, you may only end up using half of what is stored inside. So, if you say a battery has got a capacity of ‘10’, we have been using only a maximum six. On a lithium-ion battery, you end up using maybe 9, or 9.5. Number two: if you use a conventional lead-acid battery, your power rating, or the wattage output drops as the power goes out. But with lithium batteries, you’ve got a steady output and at a broad range.”
“It’s now become the norm in many countries to start from the construction site, and say “Okay, how are we going to provide the electric power?” Adds Whiteman, noting that going electric doesn’t always have to mean that the power is coming from a battery.
“It might be a temporary diesel generator, because it’s still cheaper and more environmentally friendly to have a low power diesel generator than just charging the equipment,” he adds. “As counterintuitive as it seems, it actually can be a good option.”
A common worry is that the batteries can’t cope in the heat of the summer. Chalissery draws a comparison with a well-known EV car brand: “Teslas are running in this weather and the power consumption of these machines are much lower than a Tesla going at full speed.”
Whiteman believes that it would be wise to hedge bets when it comes to which particular battery will prove the more popular in the market. Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) batteries, for instance, which still use lead acid are able to reach temperatures as high as 80OC and are popular in some markets because of their fine glass fibre shielding design.
“On the discussion about what kind of battery to use, I would say the jury is still out,” says Whiteman. “We supply lithium in China, and we’ve got good experience in there as people are familiar with it. Our experience of the AGM batteries that we’re using in Europe has been that nobody ever talks about them… which is great.”
Rob Cavaleri, regional training, safety and compliance manager, Manlift Middle East, says that battery development is happening at such a fast pace that the market shouldn’t be deterred from opting for electric machines, even if there are concerns about the durability of lithium-ion batteries or the efficiency of the lead acid-based alternatives.
“I don’t think we should ‘get stuck’ on lithium and of course, we have more options coming soon. But the manufacturers can also change the compounds of lithium quite easily to suit a higher ambient temperature or a lower ambient temperature, and they can change the parameters to make it less volatile, so on and so forth.”
Despite the problem of dealing with the more extreme temperatures that equipment has to be mobilised in the Middle East, Chalissery believes that electric machines could find a role even in rough-terrain and off highway applications if contractors can shift their perceptions of what is possible.
“People tend to think that unless your machine makes a heavy noise, it’s not strong enough. Also, when we say an electric machine, they are bulkier but much more powerful than a comparable diesel machine.”
“The power is there,” emphasises Whiteman. “It’s a question about how often can you charge it? How often do you need to charge it? Have you got the power supply on-site? And then which kind of battery is most appropriate for your product?”
One frequent criticism of electric alternatives, is the upfront cost to purchase them. Chalissery says that buyers should look at the lifetime cost instead when weighing up a potential first electric machine purchase.
“If I speak about my product, and not about the other brands although I think they are the same for pricing, lithium-ion machines are slightly, let’s say 5-7%, more expensive than a same-sized diesel machine. But, when you look at the cost of ownership, if you’re talking also a typical lifespan in a fleet of five or six years, it’s much less compared to the diesel machine. And when you use an electric machine your maintenance requirements are lower, and your breakdowns are less because most of electric machine use an electric drive.”
Drawing on his own extensive experience, Whiteman recalls a buyer in the UK who was event frustrated that he still needed to buy non-electric equipment.
“He said to me on a diesel machine there are 20 touch points, that’s 20 points that need to be checked regularly. You don’t have those on an electric machine,” he says adding that an electric equivalent typically only has four.
“Or one. The charging point,” jokes Chalissery.
Both agree that although charging is an issue, it is worth considering that charging only needs to be scheduled once a day, and often longer, with proper planning.
Whiteman explains: “They’re designed like that. Absolutely designed with that in mind. Of course in our industry, what is a full day’s work? Because when the platform is up, it’s off. So generally speaking we say you can get two days on a full charge.”
“I’ll give you some data. A 28m boom, across all brands, typically uses a 60 kilowatt engine to run. On an electric machine, a 28m boom typically uses a 40-kilowatt battery, and once fully charged, it can comfortably support you for two to three days. And to charge a 40-kilowatt battery, using a normal 7kW charger, like you a normal all charger, it takes five or six hours.”
