Your bimonthly roundup of news
about moving beyond diesel
If you’re thinking about upgrading your fleet, remember that we make grants of up to 45% of the project costs for replacing certain types of diesel-powered vehicles and equipment with newer, cleaner, technologies. Full info is at our website.
Bobcat T7X all-electric loaders are almost here
Doosan Bobcat made waves at the Consumer Electronics Show in January when it unveiled the T7X, the first fully electric compact track loader. Now stuff’s getting real: Sunbelt Rentals has made a “significant investment in a large fleet” of T7X’s and says it will soon make them available for rent.
Xcel Energy buys industry’s first all-electric bucket truck
Xcel Energy has jumped on as the first customer for the Terex Optima 55, the industry’s first all-electric bucket truck. The Optima combines a Viatec SmartPTO with an International eMV Series truck that can drive 135 miles on a charge. Xcel is joined by eight other North American utility companies due to take delivery of Optimas later this year. Read more…
Oregon farmers putting electric tractors to the test
A nonprofit partnership has purchased three electric tractors and is lending them out to Oregon farms as part of a citizen science program to test first-generation electric farm equipment. The small tractors, produced by startups Solectrac and Monarch, are intended for use in vineyards, berry fields and hobby farms. Read more…
These generators can switch from fossil fuels to clean fuels
It’s a common dilemma these days: switch to a clean machine or stick with diesel until the technology is further advanced? In the case of backup generators, now there’s a technology that covers both bases. Mainspring Energy’s “flexible-fuel” generators can use fossil fuels for now, but they’re designed to be able to use zero-carbon hydrogen and ammonia fuels as they become more available. Read more….
