place and where noise pollution is an annoyance to residents,” Caywood said.
Safer equipment A quieter work site is also a safer work site, and it’s one of the many perks of using electric and hybrid equipment. Loud noises can make communica- tion difficult between workers on the ground and those in the li, and a battery-powered aerial li doesn’t interfere with communications like a traditional PTO does. “The SmartPTO creates a work zone where operators can communicate bet- ter and with less toxic exhaust from the chassis,” Caywood added. BARRIERS TO E-BUCKET TRUCKS In a perfect world, everyone interested in electric bucket trucks would have access to them. In reality, it’s not that simple. Here are some of the biggest challenges to going fully electric. Larger upfront investment The biggest problem with electric buck- et trucks? The price point, according to Altec’s Green Fleet manager Frank Dean. “Pricing is a big challenge, and it needs to be competitive compared to diesel,” Dean said of the cost of investing in electric equipment. Not only are electric bucket trucks more expensive, but tree care compa- nies must factor in the cost of building charging stations and other essential infrastructure to power them. Limited range Dean says the biggest hesitation he sees from potential customers is “range anxiety.” Today’s battery technology is as good as it’s ever been – and only getting better – but range continues to be a concern for many tree care com- panies, especially those that operate in rural areas.
On Dur-A-Lift hybrids, heaters are built into the inside of the batteries to ensure the system works even in freezing weather.
and the run requirements that tree care requires make the limited range of EVs a challenge,” he says. Extreme temperatures If you’ve tried to start your car on a re- Terex • All-Electric Bucket Truck • Hybrid HyPower SmartPTO Viatec • Smart PTO Altec • All-Electric Bucket Truck • Jobsite Energy Management System (JEMS) Solutions Dur-a-Lift • Hybrid Aerial Lift SEA Electric • SEA-Drive Range Versalift • Electric Drive Electric and Hybrid Manufacturers
ally cold day and the engine didn’t turn over, you already know extreme tem- peratures are tough on batteries. This is true with the lithium-ion bat- teries used to build all-electric bucket trucks. To counter this, EV manufactur- ers build auxiliary heating and cooling systems into the system itself to help maximize battery life. Rod Bergstrom, a sales manager with bucket truck manufacturer Dur-a-Li , shared that the company’s Hybrid Ae- rial is built to perform, even in harsh weather conditions. “The aerial li is a self-contained unit separate from the chassis powered by a battery that allows up to four hours of continuous run time,” Bergstrom said. “It’s easy to operate and works in cold weather. In Iowa, we understand what cold weather can do to hydraulic equipment.” Battery wear Any truck with an internal combus- tion engine, even the highest-quality electric bucket truck, will deteriorate over time. Altec’s all-electric bucket truck is built to last between seven
“Range has its limitations right now,
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