There’s been plenty of global fanfare about LiuGong’s wide range of electrically-powered equipment. Several machines are already rolling in the Australian market with strong appeal.
LiuGong was one of the first equipment companies to identify the potential of the battery electric vehicle (BEV) for the construction, civil and landscape industries. Since recognising that potential Liugong has invested more than $100 million in research, development and machine testing of electrically-powered equipment over the past eight years.
Cost benefits
There are nine electrically-powered product areas in total, from skid steers and aerial-access equipment to excavators and wheel loaders, and a sign of LiuGong’s confidence in the range is the company’s offering of five-year/10,000-hour warranties with the machines, covering batteries, motors and controllers.
James Lipman, from the LiuGong distributor in Australia, said significantly reduced energy and maintenance costs compared with operating diesel machines, as well as reduced carbon emissions, was quickly attracting the interest of numerous operators around the country.
“Companies and operators can now buy a machine to help hit their corporate responsibility and sustainability targets, as well as their cost of ownership targets,” James said. “They recognise they can pay significantly less in costs over five years while still taking advantage of all the benefits.”
Reducing emissions
LiuGong data from more than 200 customer job sites has shown BEVs reduce five-year operational costs by up to 70 per cent and maintenance costs by up to 50 per cent.
A mid-size wheel-loader comparison indicated fuel and maintenance savings of $210,000 over five years, as well as emission savings of more than 330 tonnes, which was significantly more than the emissions produced by the diesel machine and, hence, would be available for offsetting other emissions.
James said electric transmissions improve transmission efficiency and reduce noise for smooth shifting, while operators also enjoy a significantly higher comfort level in the machines compared with a constantly running diesel or petrol engine.
Electric power delivers a quieter operating environment with reduced vibrations, creating a less stressful working atmosphere for operators. The elimination of exhaust fumes also improves overall air quality, enhancing operator health and well-being.
Low maintenance
Holcim, a global leader in innovative and sustainable building materials, has commenced a strong relationship with LiuGong Australia for its electric machines after initially trialing an electric wheel loader in Victoria. Its Australian operations include quarries, batching plants, manufacturing and corporate offices.
Holcim Operations Manager for Gippsland East, Michael (Mick) Radford, said the company was committed to decarbonising its operations on the journey towards net-zero emissions.
“The use of zero-emission vehicles like the LiuGong wheel loader aligns with our roadmap, bringing us closer to achieving our goals,” he said.
And there were other features of the 856HE which impressed.
“It performed better than we all expected,” Mick said. “The loader could work long hours between charges and could keep up with the production, which meant it didn’t have to stop in the middle of the day to charge up. That means the charging time is less, so the cost is less.”
“Electric machines, unlike diesel ones, also only need to be serviced every thousand hours, so the maintenance cost is much lower. And you haven’t got things like oil-filter changes and labour time to worry about.”
Service
Mick was also pleased with the design that enables hydraulics to be programmed via software to make them harsher or softer.
“So we can make adjustments like the speed of the machine,” he said. Mick was also particularly pleased with the service aspect of LiuGong. “When we first bought the LiuGong equipment, the team spent a lot of time with us, checking that all was good and coping with any problems that arose,” he said.
“After a couple of months, you’d think that this level of service would fade away, but not so…I’d still be getting phone calls every couple of weeks checking on any issues. “The level of support is outstanding.”
Industry operators interested in further information or viewing a demonstration of the LiuGong electric range can contact James Lipman (QLD, NSW and VIC) on 0475 901 639 and Johnny Inferrera (WA and SA) on 0429 904 870. To see the LiuGong range, log on to liugongaustralia.com.au.