All posts tagged: heavy equipment

Pony.ai to put 100,000 autonomous trucks on the road by 2030

Pony.ai to put 100,000 autonomous trucks on the road by 2030

Published by skeptic

Chinese autonomy experts Pony.ai are planning to put 1,000 autonomous electric commercial trucks to work by 2027, but it’s the company’s plans to put 100,000 self-driving trucks on the road by 2030 that’s making headlines. Thought not particularly well-known in the US, Pony.ai has been developing autonomous trucks in China and the Middle East since 2018. Those first hand-built prototypes were succeeded by modular units as the company inched closer to automotive-grade series production through a variety of partnerships with established medium- and heavy-duty truck brands and now, nearly a decade later, they seem ready to make the leap to regular production of self-driving on-road trucks with partner brand SANY. They’ve even figured out the breakdown: Over the next two to three years, Pony.ai expects 500 to 1,000 Gen-4 autonomous heavy-duty trucks to be deployed across three primary scenarios in China: long-haul freight, bulk commodity transportation and port logistics. Pony.ai also expects light-duty trucks to scale faster, with a longer-term goal of reaching 100,000 L4 autonomous light-duty trucks by 2030. PONY.AI Longtime Electrek readers (and …

Equipment space race heats up with new Vermeer lunar excavator

Equipment space race heats up with new Vermeer lunar excavator

Published by skeptic

International equipment manufacturer Vermeer has unveiled a full-scale prototype of its Interlune excavator, a machine designed to ingest 100 metric tons of rocks and dirt per hour, extracting valuable helium as it makes its way across the surface … of the Moon. UPDATE 08AUG26: Interlune and Vermeer have expand their partnership. Last week, Interlune and Vermeer announced they would be expanding their strategic partnership to develop and deliver the critical infrastructure and services necessary for a permanent human presence on the Moon (read: helium mining). “Reliable, autonomous mobility and heavy-duty excavation are the backbones of any permanent settlement on the Moon,” says Rob Meyerson, co-founder and CEO of Interlune. “By working with Vermeer, we are moving from developing prototypes to repeatable, scalable systems that will help build the Moon Base and enable the harvesting of lunar resources to power the future.” Advertisement – scroll for more content The expanded collaboration between the companies builds on a joint development agreement that led to the full-scale prototype of the all-electric Interlune excavator that we covered earlier last …

Brazilian Port of Santos electrifies DP World terminal

Brazilian Port of Santos electrifies DP World terminal

Published by skeptic

Jeddah Terminal, by DP World. DP World is electrifying its port fleet at the Brazilian Port of Santos with 15 battery-electric terminal trucks and three electric reach stackers in a move that marks another key step toward clean freight handling at one of Latin America’s busiest container ports. The deployment of the new electric equipment assets are part of DP World’s 1.6 billion Real (BRL) expansion at its Santos terminal, which will allow the company to handle more than 2 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) annually by 2028. The investment is the first phase of a broader terminal modernization initiative from DP World that will see the deployment of a total of 44 electric terminal tractors, three electric reach stackers, four new electric quay cranes, and fifteen 40-ton class rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs) already scheduled for delivery before the end of 2027. “We continue to invest in infrastructure and equipment that enables us to deliver greater capacity, reliability, efficiency and sustainability for our customers,” said Fabio Siccherino, CEO of DP World Brazil. “These new …

Kalmar Ottawa electric yard truck gets to work in Canada

Kalmar Ottawa electric yard truck gets to work in Canada

Published by skeptic

Kalmar Ottawa has been a leader in diesel-powered yard trucks for decades, but as global logistics fleets move to reduce costs and insulate themselves from volatile diesel prices, the company is making that shift, too – and they’re out to prove their new, battery-electric T2 EV can deliver the same durability and productivity that’s made the original T2 a fixture at ports for years. With support from Transport Canada’s incentives for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicles (“iMHZEV”) grant program, Canadian logistics firm WTC Group is putting a number of Kalmar Ottawa T2 EVs to work. “Innovation has always been central to WTC Group’s operations,” explains Brad Gordon, Director of Maintenance at WTC. “As customers’ demand for sustainable logistics solutions continues to grow, investing in electric terminal tractors is a natural step in improving both operational efficiency and environmental performance.” Kalmar is confident that its electric T2 will be up to whatever challenges WTC throws at it – and they should have a pretty good idea of what those are, having invented the specialized terminal tractor concept in …

Fortescue CEO test drives 150 ton haul truck [video]

Fortescue CEO test drives 150 ton haul truck [video]

Published by skeptic

Industrial mining giants Fortescue have been leading the charge towards electrifying every aspect of their operations – and last week, the company’s CEO took some time to actually get out and test drive some of the company’s newest battery-powered heavy machines. Fortescue CEO Dino Otranto proved he has one of the most fun jobs in the world last week when he took the time to test drive some of the company’s new, ultra class machinery before making its way to Fortescue’s Australian operations in The Pilbara. Otranto posted a video of his test drive experience on his LinkedIn page, which I’ve embedded for your education and amusement, below: Fortescue has been testing a number of battery-electric prototypes and pilots of the massive electric equipment it will eventually use to replace its existing diesel fleet as it seeks to phase out the burning of fossil fuels at all of its global mining operations – and its mines in The Pilbara, in particular – by 2030. Advertisement – scroll for more content “We’re moving rapidly to decarbonize our Pilbara …

10 Windrose electric semi trucks coming to I-35 corridor (allegedly)

10 Windrose electric semi trucks coming to I-35 corridor (allegedly)

Published by skeptic

The electric semi truck market seems to be heating up in Texas, with Wen Han’s upstart Windrose brand set to deploy 10 fully electric Class 8 trucks on the I-35 freight corridor between Dallas and Laredo en route to Mexico (but there are some caveats). In a press release titled, “DSV Partners with Allogic and Greenspace E-Mobility for 10 Windrose Electric Trucks on the I-35 Corridor,” Windrose announced plans for 10 of its incredibly capable R700 long-haul electric semi trucks to begin operating on the Greenspace “Electric Highway,” a dedicated network of Green Hub charging stations under development along Highway 85 in Mexico and I-35 in Texas that connects the cities of Monterrey and Dallas via Laredo and San Antonio. It’s positive news for the electric truck startup, but comes with some pretty big caveats. The first is that Green Hubs’ stations aren’t yet complete, with Phase 1 of the buildout targeting 4 Green Hubs locations energized and operational on the Texas side of things by Q4 of this year, with high-power charging from 400-1,000 …

Avant Tecno e727 electric wheel loader

Avant Tecno e727 electric wheel loader

Published by skeptic

Increasingly volatile fuel prices are making electric equipment options a need, rather than a want for many fleets, and Avant Tecno is working to meet that need with the new e727 electric wheel loader – the company’s largest offering in North America. The benefits of compact electric equipment assets in urban areas are well known, with their low noise, zero tailpipe emission, and lower cost of operations already well known. The question, then, has been about the machines’ higher upfront costs and challenges associated with charging infrastructure – but those challenges are increasingly easier to navigate than roller coaster gas prices. The timing for Avant Tecno’s US launch of its new e727 electric wheel loader, promising 1,400 kg (~3,000 lbs.) of lifting capacity at a lift height of over 10 feet, couldn’t be better. “Bringing a fully electric, sustainable loader that’s as powerful and reliable as our diesel models to the US market has been a long time coming,” said Beau Slavens, president of Avant Tecno USA. “The e727’s advanced features, like the Autoshift and its enhanced powertrain, …

Deliveries, automation, and the gateway drug to electrification with BIG JOE

Deliveries, automation, and the gateway drug to electrification with BIG JOE

Published by skeptic

Full autonomy, big delivery numbers, and a push towards electrification that’s moving global markets? We must be talking about electric forklifts! On today’s uplifting episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got Big Joe CMO Martin Boyd here to walk us through some of the ways these battery powered equipment assets are making all our lives better. Forklifts might not be the first vehicles that come to mind when you think about EVs, but they may be one of the industry’s biggest success stories. Electric forklifts are quieter, smoother, and produce zero tailpipe emissions, making them ideal for warehouses, factories, and other indoor spaces where diesel or propane exhaust simply isn’t an option. One of the leading voices in that space is Big Joe, who specialize in both electric forklifts and trainable, autonomous material handling solutions that promise lower costs, more efficient operations, and increased safety. Forklift Links Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Advertisement – scroll for more content New episodes …

LiuGong brings electric heavy equipment options to North America

LiuGong brings electric heavy equipment options to North America

Published by skeptic

This week, Chinese equipment brand LiuGong officially launched its battery-electric equipment and material handling asset portfolio in the United States and Canada, making it easier than ever for construction and forestry crews to decarbonize their fleets. With over 15 years’ experience developing battery electric equipment assets and more than 60,000 electric machines deployed across its global customers’ fleets, LiuGong is entering the North American market with a comprehensive portfolio of proven HDEVs that includes the 856HE Battery-Electric Wheel Loader, 820TE Battery-Electric Loader, 924FE Battery-Electric Excavator, and LRSE4531E Fully Electric 45-Ton Reach Stacker, representing one of the industry’s broadest battery-electric equipment portfolios available from a single manufacturer. “Customers shouldn’t have to choose between proven performance and zero-emission technology,” explains Andrew Ryan, President of LiuGong North America. “Our battery-electric platform has already proven itself through millions of commercial operating hours around the world. Now we’re bringing that experience to North America with machines engineered specifically for this market and backed by years of commercial operation.” Big and green Image via LiuGong. LiuGong says its US-market HDEVs can …

Volvo Electric semi trucks charge up American Truck Simulator

Volvo Electric semi trucks charge up American Truck Simulator

Published by skeptic

American Truck Simulator’s players can finally get a taste of what it’s like to climb into the cab of a Volvo VNL and VNR Electric semi trucks as the big BEVs become the first-ever electric truck to be featured in the over-the-road driving game. American Truck Simulator has a diverse pool of over 7 million players that includes casuals, truck enthusiasts, and even professional drivers. Unlike most driving games, however, the goal isn’t to win a race – it’s to haul cargo, earn money, buy trucks, and expand your fleet into a full-blown logistics empire. And now, that empire can include some of the most popular electric semi trucks on the road: the Volvo VNL and VNR Electric. “This is a very exciting way to introduce our trucks, both the diesel and the battery-electric version, to millions of truck enthusiasts around the world,” explains Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America. “American Truck Simulator has built an incredibly passionate community that appreciates great trucks and authentic driving experiences. We’re proud that the most modern trucks …