Sustainability is more than just a buzzword

"sustainability.” The term is largely a 21st-century fad and is found almost everywhere nowadays in theConstruction(as old-school as it may seem) is no exception.

But in the steel world, it's just “look at us!” ? Is it a whitewash to attract investors and environmentalists and avoid angering green-leaning politicians, or is it real? 

In addition to the additional initial cost, this is a great way forconvoysIs there any point? 

This may depend on the goals of individual fleets and how seriously they take reducing their emissions and carbon footprint. In the long run.diesel fuelDefinitely saving.

Take a look at some of the original equipmentmakersThe United States of America is a provider of fleet, rental and leasing equipment, which is operating under the umbrella of the “environmental and social governance” and "social responsibility" organizations.Sustainable developmentMany concrete steps have been taken in the name of

Construction equipmentHow can sustainable development be achieved?

On the OEM side, John Deere is a company that has set 2022 sustainability goals specifically for their products. They are reducing the environmental impact of the 90%'s new products, including carbon dioxide emissions; by incorporating remanufacturing and rebuildtotal income from salesAdd 30% to increase the use of sustainable materials; and add recycling, renewable, and recyclable.

More specifically, on the construction side, Deere works with the Northeast U.S. Electric, Gas and Cleanrenewable energyTransmission company National Grid has partnered to develop a backhoeprescriptionto support its sustainable development goals to achieve carbon neutrality.

E-Power Backhoewheel loadersIt is a fully automated loader based on the current 310L backhoe loader.batteriesPrototype, equivalent to a 100 hp diesel engine.

Previously at Deere HybridElectric wheel loadersSeries product experience helped the company select and integrate an electric drive system for its first battery-electric backhoe prototype. Deere took a phased approach focusing on developing key systems and accelerating collaborative testing with National Grid. 

E-Power BackhoeExcavatorThe initial phase was designed by Deere, utilizing customer input and the expertise of corporate technologists to help accelerate the team's work on battery systems, battery charging strategies, andelectrificationKnowledge of auxiliary components. 

The next phase of the project will integrate feedback from National Grid testing and build on the experience of the first phase to increase uptime and maximize the backhoe operator experience.

Brian Hennings, product manager for Deere backhoe excavators, says E-Power and its power supply are expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 83 tons over the life of the product, as well as more than 7,300 gallons of diesel fuel. Being all-electric also means it runs quieter, currently reducing diesel decibel levels from the noise of a kitchen blender to the sound of a clothes dryer.

“This creates a safer work environment,” said Jon Gilbeck, manager of production systems-site development and underground. “Communication is key between operators and other support personnel. It's also less disruptive to the community or nearby businesses.”

Hennings said, “Our goal is to achieve the performance and controllability of an all-electric backhoe similar to a diesel product.”

Currently in the first phase of proof-of-concept, the E-Power backhoe excavator is being put to use in real-world jobsite scenarios. Hennings says that if further testing goes well, the battery-electric solution could be in commercial use within a few years.

However, Gilbeck says the benefit of using the E-Power backhoe in the field is “a good dialogue with customers across all production systems,” helping Deere gain a broader perspective and prioritize future investments. 

Deere says it expects to leverage insights from multiple product lines of E-Power backhoe excavators to not only have backhoe excavators, but as many as five to six different machine forms that are fully electrified, putting the company on the path to a greener earthmoving fleet. 

Volvo (Swedish car company)Construction Equipment already has five motors for sale in North America, and a marketing campaign for its motors and hydrogen fuel cell testing has swept thesectorThe

These are by no means the only two companies using hybrid technology, electrification and fuel cell research.

How do facility managers view motors?

Fleet managers are generally open to the possibility of electrification, but many are unsure how to proceed. 

Ben Tucker, CEM, director of equipment and facilities for Barriere Construction in Metairie, Louisiana, has more questions than answers when asked about electrical equipment.

“Personally, I'm a little nervous about that, especially if you do a 24-hour operation,” he says. “When do you have time to charge this thing? Because you have to have an extra part [for the charging device]. Or maybe you get a situation like in Texas, when the freeze comes and the whole grid goes down. What are you going to do then?

“Justefficiencyand running for that matter, if you follow a set schedule, then I think it's achievable,” Tucker said.

“Where and how will we adapt this [technology]?” Tucker said. “Believe it or not, I think it's also going to help with safety because every workplace is going to have some sort of power station to charge these things. Are you going to use a generator to charge everything? Are you going to go off the grid for that? Maybe.solar energyThe technology will be there. But if it works during the day, how will it charge at night?”

David Bolderoff, CEM, fleet manager for the Los Angeles County Sanitation District's fleet management and transportation division, has been an advocate for alternative fuels and electrification since at least as early as 2015. He said leasing could be a good starting point for fleets seeking electric equipment.

In fact, the rental industry has become a more important equipment provider, especially as managers face today's delays in delivering new equipment.Sunbelt (Bobcat) and United Rentals (Takeuchi) and other rental companies have partnered with OEMs to develop electric, zero-emission equipment. 

“Withlynx CTL's are buying in bulk, and Sunbelt Rentals has shown that electric vehicles can be used, and for something smaller, I might just plug it into a 100 outlet without a dedicatedbattery level,” Bolderoff said. “But companies like Sunbelt are addressing the issue of charging the machine, and if you need it for more than a day, they will provide you with a charger for the machine.

“The rental company can pick it up at the end of the day and take care of charging it themselves,” Bordeloff said. “I think that's definitely feasible for compact machines; I think it would be more difficult with larger machines.”

He also suggested trying light machines and fleets on the highway side first. 

“I think the easiest stepping stone and what we've done is to get your feet wading into the lighter side of things,” Bordeloff said. “Installing charging infrastructure is a challenge; every project is slightly different, especially if you're going underground and installing infrastructure. Depending on where you get your power from, the cost can vary greatly.

"Ford (name)and some manufacturers such as General Motors have announced that they're coming out with electric pickup trucks, so most fleets have a large inventory of pickup trucks to support their operations,” Bordroff said. “Maybe start with some pickups in the fleet, have some charging infrastructure there, and then figure out solutions [on how to] keep the over-the-road fleet powered,” Bordeloff said. “Then you can see if there are some heavy-dutytrucks, you can also utilize the infrastructure there for pilots.”

Bolderoff suggests fleets display compact electric equipment such as mini excavators, wheel loaders or CTLs, or rent one from a local rental company.

“See how it works, get feedback from operators, find out what they like and what they don't like,” Bordeloff said. “Unless we give good feedback to the OEMs, they don't always have the answers, so I think it's important that we take that to our operators or technicians and let them try it out, let them see the technology and give feedback to the manufacturers. 

“As they add these product lines, they can avoid some of the problems if more people see them providing feedback,” Bordeloff said. “The OEMs are waiting for us to show that demand, and they need us to show the demand for it and prove that it's a need in the industry.”

On the larger contractor side, the sustainability discussion has inevitably become more corporate.

Global contractor Packard says it is committed to net-zero emissions by 2050, and is currently developing interim targets that are consistent with the findings of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The aim is to first reduce emissions (rather than offset them) and then remove carbon to offset any remaining emissions as it approaches the target.

The company recognizes thatelectric vehiclehas been around for some time, but adoption rates have been too low to attract significant investment and replace the internal combustion engine (ICE) in a meaningful way. 

Now, however, Parkhead has recognized that electric vehicles are replacing a significant portion of the traditional internal combustion engine vehicle market, which provides interesting opportunities. 

There will be a wave of electric vehicles flooding the market in a few years and that market is set to grow significantly. But in order to support the growth of the EV market, significant investment in charging infrastructure will be needed, and the company has already taken action.

While automakers are investing heavily in the development of battery-powered models, consumers will be reluctant to purchase these vehicles if there is insufficient charging infrastructure to charge them. In fact, the lack of EV charging stations is often cited as a major obstacle for consumers considering switching from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles.

Around the world, particularly in Europe and China, significant investments are being made and policies implemented to address the lack of EV infrastructure. However, North America is generally lagging behind when it comes to EV infrastructure. The International Council on Clean Transportation recently reported that 88 of the top 100 U.S. metropolitan areas have less than half of the total amount of charging infrastructure needed to support the electric vehicles expected to be on the road by 2025.

Charging infrastructure

In order to prepare for the future of electric vehicles in the next three to five years, the company needs to take a long-term view and build critical charging infrastructure on a large scale in North America, Burkard said.

Packard and General Motors are working together to build a large-scale direct current (DC) in North America.rapid rechargeNetworking. 

“At Packard, we believe electric vehicle charging offers an attractive opportunity for our company because it combines three of our traditional markets - power, transportation and communications infrastructure - and represents the what defines us: building large projects that matter,” said Kelly Brown, head of global communications for Parkhead Infrastructure and Power.

“Our goal is to create a massive charging network in North America so that ‘mileage anxiety’ - the fear of not being able to find a charging station - is no longer a a barrier to purchasing an electric vehicle,” Brown said. “We believe in a clean future and see this as one of many important steps in that direction.”

Rental companies also want to receive and provide feedback.United Rentals recently completed a pilot program for a range of new electrical equipment and now offers electric and hybrid equipment to help reduce emissions and energy costs.

Electric or hybrid vehicles make up approximately 20% of its rental fleet. categories include electric forklifts, aerial lifts, skid steers and mini excavators, solar-powered tractor light towers and LED light towers.

The company says it regularly communicates with customers and OEMs to discuss trends, changing needs and future equipment offerings. It evaluates new products as they come to market to help meet customer needs and provide them with the most innovative, sustainable and efficient equipment in the industry.