Proterra, a supplier of commercial vehicle electrification technology, and Komatsu, will work on the equipment maker’s first battery-electric middle-weight excavator.
The collaboration represents Proterra’s entry into the off-road vehicle market and the company’s first Proterra Powered battery-electric construction equipment, according to Proterra, based in the US state of California.
“Komatsu will use Proterra’s high-performance battery systems for the development of a proof-of-concept electric excavator in 2021 before expected commercial production in 2023 to 2024,” noted Proterra. “The Proterra battery system powering the electric excavator will feature high energy density and fast charging technology.”
Proterra battery packs, made in the US, are already fitted within a variety of vehicles, including school buses, coach buses, delivery vans and low-floor cutaway shuttle buses.
“The packaging flexibility of Proterra’s battery platform will further enable the optimal placement of the batteries within the middle class excavator and replace the need for a normal counterweight used to balance the excavator’s hydraulic arm movements,” said the press release from Proterra.
“Proterra’s best-in-class battery technology has been proven in 16 million miles driven by our fleet of transit vehicles,” said Jack Allen, chief executive of Proterra. “What’s working in our battery-electric transit vehicles on roads across North America can work off-road, too.”
