Editor’s Note: This is Part Six of an eight-part series on the evolution of construction equipment and the diesel fuel alternatives manufacturers are introducing, including hybrid machines, electric and battery-powered equipment, and hydrogen combustion and hydrogen fuel cell technology. You can read Part One in the series by clicking here. Part Two. Part Three. Part Four and Part 5.
Jacques Marais has worked in the construction industry for 35 years and has been seeking cleaner alternatives to diesel. The director at Baltic Sands out of Yucca Valley, California, his company specializes in environmentally sensitive, luxury off-grid property development and real estate.
Keeping up with the current trends while at trade shows and reading magazines and online sites pointed him toward electric machines.
"I became interested and felt like it was a good idea to pursue the idea of using them on certain sites that they would be suited for," Marais said.
Ultimately, his interest prompted him to reach out to Volvo Construction Equipment nearly two years ago to inquire about testing some of its then-new electric machines. Simultaneously, Volvo was in the process of looking for pilot users of the L25 compact electric wheel loader and ECR25, a compact electric excavator.
For Marais, it was just a fortunate intersection of circumstances that allowed his crews to use the machines and see what they were capable of.
