5 Reasons Construction Jobsites are Going Electric

May 02, 2023

Electrification of construction machinery is hardly a new concept. For years, electric equipment has been commonly seen in a variety of applications, from demolition and mining to aerial lift and industrial work.

Now, however, electric equipment is becoming increasingly prevalent on and around jobsites. Its potential is evident. Its benefits are clear. Its long-term place in the industry is no longer up for debate. And, as electric vehicles continue to be more widely adopted by consumers, all that's left to do is examine – and try to accurately determine –how the construction industry should prepare for the technology to become fully mainstream in the not-too-distant future.

"If you go out about three years, there will be approximately 700 electric vehicles roadside, and that's not even getting into construction and agriculture," said David Knight, CEO of Terbine, a provider of technology for the seamless exchanging of IoT data between the mobility and energy sectors, who spoke on how the construction industry should prepare for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles in the not-too-distant future at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG and the International Fluid Power Exposition (IFPE) educational sessions are now available on AEM's on-demand platform. Gain access to more than 175 recordings of the educational sessions presented at the shows -- featuring expert opinions and perspectives from contractors, certified trainers, technology solutions providers and OEMs. Learn more .

According to Knight, there are five main reasons why equipment end users in the construction industry are strongly considering investing (or already have invested) in electric machinery. They are:

There is every reason to believe the electric vehicles and electric equipment will continue to develop and improve over time, said Knight, thus making a greater level of adoption even more likely in the very near future. According to the Terbine CEO, the architectures of electric vehicles are going to even higher voltages. The higher the voltage, he explained, the less current is needed for a given amount of wattage. That also means less heat. And, while voltages are very good now, they are expected to improve significantly in the coming years.

"They’re going to be really good in three to five years, and that's going to allow for even faster and more efficient charging than ever before," he added.

Want to learn more about electric vehicle adoption in the construction industry and other informative topics? The CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE education on-demand platform has it all. For more information on opportunities related to show education content, contact AEM's Lexy Frechette at [email protected].

For more AEM news and updates, subscribe to the AEM Industry Advisor.