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EVs, smart techs take limelight at North America's largest construction trade show

(Xinhua) 09:30, March 16, 2023

LAS VEGAS, the United States, March 15 (Xinhua) -- New electric fleets for construction industries and technological innovations took the spotlight at North America's largest construction trade show which convenes in the U.S. city of Las Vegas this week, showcasing the trend for a greener future.

Many major players in the construction industries have brought their new electric vehicles to the show named CONEXPO-CON/AGG, which drew over 1,800 equipment manufacturers from worldwide.

CASE Construction Equipment, an American manufacturer of construction machinery, presented five electric vehicles at the show floor, including backhoe loader, compact wheel loader, mini excavators and small articulated loader.

These new electric vehicles can be used for loading, landscape, gardening and material handling, according to CASE Construction Equipment engineer Brady Lewis.

"Clean, quiet, electric power represents a new trend in the construction industries and is a focus of the trade show," Lewis told Xinhua in an interview.

The benefits of fully electric vehicles include zero emissions, reduced noise, environmental sustainability and less maintenance, according to Lewis. These electric-powered machines have even more advantages while operating indoors such as less smell, pollution, and noise.

Bobcat Company, a U.S.-based manufacturer of farm and construction equipment producer, exhibited its all-electric compact track loader T7X, which is completely battery powered and equipped to outperform its diesel-powered counterparts.

Each charge of T7X can support common daily work operations for up to four hours of continuous operation and a full day of operation during intermittent use, according to Bobcat.

The all-electric loader is also built with about half the parts and components required for a traditional, diesel-engine loader, driving down maintenance and overall ownership cost.

"All-electric is a concept at last show three years ago. Since then, a lot of efforts have been made in understanding the value of electric construction vehicles and research," Kalyn Maulding, innovation activity manager at Bobcat Company, told Xinhua.

Bobcat also presented its OLED Transparent Touch Display at the show. This new system allows its operators to view vital information and machine data displayed on the screen and simply refocus their vision to see everything that is going on around at the worksite.

Komatsu, a leading manufacturer of construction, mining, forestry, and industrial heavy equipment, showcased its Smart Construction solutions which combine 3D design data with aerial mapping and intelligent machine data to improve operational accuracy, safety and control.

Many Chinese construction equipment companies have also attended the show with their new green energy machines: Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG) unveiled an electric heavy-duty truck with rated load of 67 tonnes; Sany Group showcased an electric wheel loader and a mini electric excavator; ang Liugong Machinery unveiled its first electric wheel loader and an excavator.

Liu Quan, chief executive officer with XCMG America, told Xinhua that XCMG would prioritize the introduction of electric products including electric loaders, excavators, road rollers and mining equipment to dealers and key clients as the world attaches more importance to climate change and environmental protection.

Liugong announced on Tuesday it had sold its first electric 856H-E MAX Wheel Loader to its American client - the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts.

The export of China's construction and machinery products has repeatedly hit new highs in recent years, topping 34 billion U.S. dollars in 2021 and 44.3 billion dollars in 2022, Shi Yonghong, vice president of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products, told Xinhua in a written interview.

The export is expected to continue in 2023, Shi said.

Held every three years in Las Vegas, the massive show of CONEXPO-CON/AGG runs from Tuesday through Saturday, showcasing the latest equipment advances and newest technology applications in every field in construction.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)

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