Feasibility Study of Electrification in Construction Machinery Based on Energy Demand

The electrification of mechanical equipment can effectively reduce the large amounts of nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide emitted by construction machinery in cities. This article sets typical types of machinery used in urban operations as the analytical samples to represent the power. Load data during actual operations were collected through the On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) interface of the machinery, and the actual activity levels of the machinery were obtained through surveys. Based on the minimum energy requirements, the usage limitations of construction machinery were analyzed considering the current technological level and market supply conditions. The analysis results show that small-sized construction machinery has already met the sufficient conditions for electrification and can adopt lead-acid batteries for power propulsion during the electrification process. Medium-sized construction machinery presents higher difficulties for electrification and should use high-energy density batteries such as lithium-ion batteries for power. Large-sized construction machinery does not yet meet the conditions for widespread electrification.