Retrofitted electric mini excavator now available for hire

Kubota KX019-4 retrofit electric excavator can reduce emissions (Photo: WHC)

Plant and tool specialist WHC Hire Services is to offer its first electric Kubota mini excavator to customers.

The newly-electric excavator features a retrofitted drive which replaced the original diesel engine. The project was completed using the company’s Requip Electric Retrofit conversion technology.

This project used a two-year old 1.5-tonne Kubota KX019-4 which had the diesel engine removed before installation of an electric motor and an 18 kW li-ion battery pack. This should return similar power to the IC engine.

A hydraulic pump is driven by the motor, allowing the machine to power all standard tools.

Other additions include an onboard battery charger with a conventional Type 2 connector. This can use a standard EV charger or other supply lines, including a 240 V domestic current. Uptime with a full charge is said to be between five and six hours.

The retrofitted machine will be used to gauge customer interest in fully-electric excavators.

WHC stated that an electric mini excavator is ‘not going to suit every application’, largely due to the high initial purchase cost. But the choice of retrofitting an electric drive should help to make hiring of an electrified machine more cost effective.