Breaking ground with all-electric diggers

12th March 2020 - Engineering innovation

National Grid is committed to finding ways to reduce its carbon output and, in the US, this is changing our own fleet. We’re one of the first companies to introduce a (literally!) ground-breaking, all-electric digger and it’s brought some unexpected benefits to the way we work.

Fleets are turning electric all over the world, as companies start to work in a cleaner, greener way; but what about more heavy duty vehicles like diggers? How can we convert to zero emissions equivalents in this area too?

National Grid teamed up with fellow utility AVANGRID and together became the first companies in the sector within the US to introduce an all-electric backhoe loader – a digger in the UK.

Both companies collaborated closely with manufacturer CASE Construction Equipment to develop this innovative digger, which runs solely on electric power and is now undergoing field testing for the next 12 months to see how it copes with a tough workload.

A team effort

Making this project happen required lots of different companies to work together and combine their expertise. CASE used its existing diesel-powered backhoe loader models as the foundation for the new digger. Moog – an international designer and manufacturer of advance motion control products – and Green Machine – specialists in battery powered products, including mini excavators – also worked alongside National Grid and AVANGRID to help electrify the digger.

Quieter sites

As well as being more environmentally-friendly, with lower emissions and less pollution – and no reduction in power or performance – there are other benefits too. The new all-electric digger will have lower on-going running costs, but another win is that it’s much quieter. This means less noise for everyone and could even lead to better communication onsite.

John Bruckner, National Grid’s New York President says: “CASE’s new backhoe loader directly supports our corporate goal to eliminate companywide greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Electrifying our vehicle fleet is among the many initiatives we’re implementing across our business to achieve this target.”

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