THE POWERS THAT BE

摘要

Ask anyone involved with construction equipment and they'll have an opinion on the future of diesel power. Some say it's on its way out as the adoption of electrified equipment increases, others say it will always have its place on construction sites. One thing is certain, alternatives are available and some are becoming more realistic options in terms of practicality and cost. The hybridisation and electrification of construction equipment is a trend that has been gaining momentum. It started with diesel-electric machines powered by an engine coupled with an electric generator, AC drive motor or other source of electric power. Today, lithium-ion battery technology is commonplace and hydrogen fuel cells (HFC) can be clearly seen on the horizon. And there's still the good old internal combustion engine which burns cleaner with every iteration, calling into question which power source is really the best choice from both an environmental and performance standpoint. The goal for every technology is to reduce carbon emissions while maintaining high performance standards without a prohibitive increase in cost to equipment owners.