ELECTRIFICATION MEETS OFF ROAD EQUIPMENT
Now that the transitions to Tier 4 Final (EPA) and Stage 5 (EU) have come and gone, what is next?
Electrification.
Who: Many of the leading diesel engine manufacturers – Deutz, Perkins, Kohler, and John Deere – to name a few.
What: In general, it is the integration of hybrid drivetrain technology being offered directly from the engine manufacturers.
When: The crossover to fully embracing the new technology is unknown. However, many leading diesel engine manufacturers have been prototyping and optimizing the technology for some time. Some since as early as 2013. Many manufacturers are claiming a market penetration of potentially 10% as early as 2022.
Where: In virtually any existing mobile diesel-powered application. Some notable examples are the Deutz powered Manitou MT 1135 diesel-hybrid and full-electric telehandler, and the John Deere 644K and 944K diesel-hybrid wheel loaders.
Why: There are a few tangential reasons, but the one big reason – downsizing. Take a traditional 75kW Tier 4 Final diesel-hydraulic application. This application would require some variation of a DEF/SCR after-treatment system on the diesel engine. You would now have the possibility of downsizing to a 55kW diesel engine – which could be DOC only – and pair that with a 20kW electric motor powered by the hybrid system.
