Mecalac e12: a 100%-electric excavator for urban building sites

Mecalac e12: a 100%-electric excavator for urban building sites

Mecalac thinkin about the environment and sustainable development as an investment and a key issue for the future, rather than as an expense, even in the field of internal combustion engines. The group’s R&D policy is focused on designing engines with the smallest possible environmental impact, both on building sites and on local residents.

In 2018, Mecalac is offering the first 100%-electric machine, which meets the three key requirements for the urban building sites of today and tomorrow: range, performance and compactness. It is a technological response inspired by the constantly evolving people, terrain and possibilities of urban building sites.

With the e12, Mecalac is entering a new chapter of its history, by making available an electric excavator. This landmark is being recognised by the range being the first to be allocated the letter “e”: “e” for electric, “e” for ecosystem, “e” for emission-free and “e” for emblematic.  

The e12 is the logical conclusion of an approach that has been making building sites the best they can be since 1974, with ever-more versatile machines that reduce the number of engines on site, renders operating them as time-efficient as possible and makes them profitable to run.

Three major challenges

The electric version of the 12 MTX fits perfectly within Mecalac’s philosophy of moving towards urban building sites that are ever-more compact, high-performance and environmentally friendly. The architecture of the internal combustion version of the 12 MTX makes it the natural forerunner of the electric version, so the emplacement for an internal combustion engine now houses LiFePO4 battery technology – lithium iron phosphate for three times as many charge cycles – that combine a service life, comfortably better than classic batteries, with complete safety: no risk of fires and no risk of battery fluid leaks.

“Any electric engine must rise to three major challenges: range, performance and compactness. The Mecalac e12 is the first 100%-electric excavator that does not compromise on any of those three criteria. The key to our machine’s range and performance is in its very architecture. The power source – which is separate from the upper structure – means we can install a record capacity of 146kW.h, which results in an unrivalled range of 8h”, explains Patrick Brehmer, Head of Design and Product Management.

Mecalac e12: a new direction for urban building sites

With a structure designed for the city from the outset and two independently operating electric motors, one powering the excavation mechanism and one for movement, the Mecalac e12 is destined to become a fixture in plant fleets for urban settings.

Apart from its performance and range, its 100% electric transmission offers unrivalled tractive force as soon as the engine is started, with brake energy regeneration. The electric motors’ incredible power density make it possible to keep it extremely compact; they also require no maintenance. What is more, the e12 has a charging station that can be used to recharge it on site in six to seven hours. As you can see, without compromising on power, the e12 can work all day without needing to recharge its batteries: a range of eight hours at the highest power output.

With the Mecalac e12, less really is more

The Mecalac e12 means less vibration, less noise pollution, less maintenance (no more filters, no more oil, etc.), less risk of on-site accidents, less spent on maintenance, and absolutely no CO2 or particulate emissions.

Unlike a standard wheeled excavator, the e12 works all day, racking up more time in action than it does standing around every day. Its articulated chassis means it can move easily around any site, and this agility also plays a role in its overall performance. With the time for diesels to be banned in major conurbations already announced and fixed, and with increasingly dense urban development and the cramped spaces that go hand-in-hand with that, the new Mecalac e12’s perfect blend of architecture and technology is paving the way for safer, cleaner and more efficient urban building sites.