Excavators, garbage trucks, front-end loaders..the list of hydraulically powered equipment being driven by high-energy battery packs and electric motors in lieu of diesel engines continues to grow. The latest news indicates that construction and mining equipment may be next on the growing list of equipment driven electrically. These systems typically use a variable-speed motor to drive a hydraulic pump at optimum speed to match demand. The result is more efficient operation of the hydraulic system, less maintenance, less noise, and zero emissions.
Taiwan’s XING Mobility recently signed a dealer distribution agreement with EST-Floattech to cooperate on providing electric vehicle (EV) battery and advanced powertrain solutions to construction and industrial equipment markets in Europe. EST-Floattech is a developer and distributor of integrated electric and hybrid systems with offices in Norway, Netherlands, and a strong presence in Germany. It serves the marine and heavy-duty construction machine market with safe and certified energy storage systems based on Lithium NMC technology. The partnership combines XING Mobility’s experience in EV battery technology with EST-Floattech’s reputation in energy storage and system integration with equipment manufacturers. EST-Floattech is affiliated with the Pon Group, one of the largest firms in the Netherlands, with more than 12,000 employees worldwide, and operating in 32 different countries in nine fields of activity.
XING Mobility will supply battery packs for EST-Floattech to promote, distribute, and service its partners and customers. Royce Hong, CEO of the company, explained: “We believe Europe to be the most advanced and sophisticated market for the electrification of land-based industrial equipment due to increasingly demanding emissions regulations in the region, among other drivers. We are confident that our battery innovations, combined with EST-Floattech’s experience and impressive credentials, will help accelerate the adoption of electric vehicle technology in the construction, mining, and material-handling equipment industries.”
XING Mobility has spent more than three years developing its Immersion Modular Battery System, a stackable energy solution that can be configured into a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and power needs. Because manufacturers of heavy mobile equipment produce low- to medium-sized volumes and a variety of vehicle types, the level of configurability for each battery pack and drivetrain becomes particularly critical. The collaborating companies believe that the rapid deployment and fast prototyping capabilities of XING Mobility’s modular technology will be instrumental in enabling the partnership to deliver electrified fleets to these industrial equipment manufacturers as quickly as the market demands.
XING Mobility’s battery product uses immersion cooling thermal management to submerge battery cells directly in non-conductive cooling fluid. Immersion cooling in electric vehicles is now widely considered to be the most effective method of cooling due to the 100% cell-to-coolant contact and cell temperature uniformity which allows the battery cell to reach its optimum performance levels. In addition, the cooling fluid contains fire-suppressing properties, which makes the technology extremely safe for equipment users. When coupled with the durability and extremely low maintenance requirements of the battery pack, these performance, safety, and configurability features have the potential to meet the demanding conditions of these industries.
EST-Floattech CEO Trond Skaufel added, “The alliance with XING Mobility’s impressive and solid solution culture will move EST’s heavy-duty construction customers to the next level of performance and safety. The modular, immersion cooling and fire suppression capabilities will definitively accelerate our position as a solution provider and service support in Europe.”
