Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Planes, trains and monster diggers: The vehicles pushing the limits of
electric power
Can mining excavators, trucks, ships, or airplanes be powered by electricity?
Some of them are already in use. A three-meter-tall, 778-ton mining excavator
by Komatsu is connected to a chunky power cable for electricity. While its diesel-powered
model consumes over 400 liters of diesel per hour, this electric model cuts
emissions by 95% if the electricity is generated by renewable or other types of
clean energy. Other types of heavy vehicles like trucks, ships, and even
airplanes have been electrified as battery performance improves. For example, Volvo’s
electric truck can weigh over 70 tons. Also, the biggest electric planes can
carry as many as nine passengers. Soon, we’ll see more such cleaner and quieter
vehicles digging in mines, running on the roads, cruising in the sea, and
flying in the air. But will those electric excavators dig coal, and electrified
trucks carry gasoline on the road? Also, how clean and green is the electricity
they use?
Read the article and learn about the heavy vehicles powered by
electricity.
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