Mecalac: a complete Zero-emission ecosystem for urban worksites

Mecalac launched at Bauma 2022 a complete Zero-emission ecocystem for urban worksites.

Being the first manufacturer to develop a full range of medium-sized products consisting of the 11-ton e12 excavator, the 1000-litre es1000 swing loader and the 6-ton ed6 dumper and its on-site high power battery charging solution M-Power, Mecalac revolutionizes urban construction sites and definitively paves the way for intelligent, clean and silent construction sites.

Climate change and the resulting need to reduce CO2 emissions have become a major global challenge of the 21st century. In recent years, many construction equipment manufacturers have presented electrical products to limit CO2 emissions. However, these alternatives only provide a very partial answer: the offer is currently limited to small machines (e.g., 1.5-ton mini-excavators) that mostly only assist larger diesel-powered machines. The need for medium-sized machines on urban construction sites is not yet met; with very limited autonomy (mostly between 1.5h to 4h), they do not allow a full day of work on site between two battery recharges; companies and operators are used to combustion-powered machines, thus the switch to electric vehicles is not seamless. Having observed that, Mecalac has carried out a major R&D program, which now leads to the launch of a complete zero-emission ecosystem for urban worksites.

Mecalac’s revolutionary new range of electric products includes an excavator, a swing loader and a site dumper. With these complementary products, all earthmoving operations (digging, loading, and transporting) can now be carried out with emission-free machines on a scale never before achieved.

The current market offer of “mini” electric machines cannot carry out urban construction jobs on their own. Mecalac’s challenge was therefore to be the first manufacturer to develop a full range of medium-sized products consisting of the 11-ton e12 excavator, the 1000-litre es1000 swing loader and the 6-ton ed6 dumper, for which no other manufacturer has yet been able to provide a solution.

The main reason explaining the absence of medium-sized electric machines on the market is the optimization power management to ensure sufficient autonomy. To overcome this challenge, Mecalac has made a technological breakthrough on the hydraulic distribution system, as well as on the energy management of auxiliary systems (eg: heating and air conditioning) to drastically reduce energy consumption without compromising autonomy and performance.

The way of driving that operators have adopted for decades behind the steering wheels of combustion engine machines is not always compatible with optimizing battery performance. For example, when the throttle pedal is pressed, all the power of an electric machine is instantaneous, unlike combustion engine machines. Mecalac has therefore configured the human machine interface so that it reacts in an optimal way to preserve autonomy and guarantee a coherent behaviour.

M-Power is a mobile high power supply solution. With its 300kWh storage capacity, it replaces “traditional” diesel generators by providing a battery charging solution anywhere. Mecalac’s electric ecosystem is a game-changer that enables a drastic reduction in CO2 emissions on construction sites. For example, three Mecalac zero-emission machines working together on the same urban worksite save an average of 64 tons of CO2 that their combustion engine equivalents would have emitted over a year. In addition, Mecalac’s zero-emission offer is also a response to limiting noise pollution and now offers new capacities for working inside. Mecalac’s new “e range” and its on-site battery charging solution pave the way for smart, clean and silent worksites.