Electric Backhoe One Step Closer to Breaking Ground

Brian McCowan, dnv.com, 12/03/21.

In January 2021, Zondits reported that John Deere and the electric and gas utility company National Grid were jointly testing a rechargeable all-electric powered backhoe at Massachusetts construction sites. Testing continued through the summer with the backhoe performing a variety of trenching, digging, and loading tasks. In late September, John Deere introduced the prototype 310 X-tier E-Power at the annual Utility Expo trade show held in Louisville Kentucky. The construction trade magazine Equipment World covered the event. The following excerpt referencing Utility Expo event is from an article published October 2021:  

“The battery electric technology on the 310 X-tier is one way we’re going to give leading-edge performance with innovative technology,” says Justin Steger, Deere solutions marketing manager. “It is geared toward customers that have stated carbon emissions-reduction goals.”

The placard next to the 310 X-tier at the Utility Expo said the machine represented an “early Phase 1 development in clean-energy solutions.” Deere will head into Phase 2 testing next year, targeting energy consumption by specific components says Brian Hennings, Deere product manager. “We want to offer at least an 8- to 10-hour composite runtime,” he says.

National Grid will reportedly continue testing through the winter to test cold weather runtimes. The full Equipment World article is located at this link: https://www.equipmentworld.com/equipment/article/15279461/a-peek-at-john-deeres-electric-backhoe.

Zondits has learned that the construction equipment manufacturer Case Construction has also introduced an electric backhoe. Zondits will report on that machine and other clean energy construction equipment trends in an upcoming article. Watch this space!