4 Reasons the Electrification of Rental Equipment isn’t just a Fad

The electric revolution in equipment rental is upon us. If you need a little extra proof, take a look at this picture of a Sunbelt inside a Walmart. You’ll notice a cordless battery-powered lawn mower front and center. You are probably wondering how this affects your rental fleet or the rental experience. Simply put: it’s going to be better.  

Miniaturization

Did you know the mini-excavator wasn’t introduced in American markets until the 1980’s? It was popularized by rental companies who also helped bring the mini-skid steers to market. These smaller pieces of equipment are becoming the workhorses of modern job sites and, because of their smaller size, they lighten the load needed to power them (pun intended). Cratos debuted the first electric mini-skid steer over 7 years ago in 2013, and we are now seeing the same technology applied across multiple other classes like mini-excavators.

Range Anxiety

A common fear is not having enough power to get the job done. Luckily, companies like Tesla have been advancing battery technology for us at “Ludicrous Speed.” A mini excavator can now run 8 hours on a charge with a charge time as short as 3 hours, and Case released the first ever fully electric backhoe in 2020 that is also capable of a full work day. In a world accustomed to plugging in their scissor lifts each night, it’s not a big stretch to run a cord to the rest of your job site fleet. For small tools, battery swapping makes quick work of range anxiety, and new solutions coming to market like the Makinex Mobile Charge Pod keep loss and theft to a minimum while improving safety. Job sites without power still need to be considered, but just like fuel is transported to job sites, it won't be long before power cells will be transported instead.

 Ease of use and maintenance

When comparing the service requirements of an electric vehicle vs a combustion engine, the difference is staggering. Wiper blades and cabin filters may be more of a concern that any true maintenance. While construction equipment will still require more maintenance than electric vehicles, many of the same efficiencies apply to equipment on the job site. Downtime and mobile service are very expensive for the rental company and the pro-contractor. Anything that can be done to simplify the service needs of assets on rent or when they come back from a rental lightens the workload, increases efficiency, and lowers overall costs. It also often comes with improved ease of use and improved safety. If you don’t believe me, watch a novice start a gas vs electric chainsaw. 

Clean

Having less fluids to maintain (and spill) is certainly a benefit. We are even seeing innovations like removing the hydraulics in equipment such as in the JLG Davinci scissor lift. While I’ve paid for a customer to pour a new section of concrete due to a leak more often than I care to admit, what I’m really talking about is being environmentally clean. Of course, local power generation processes have a big impact, but as the grid is upgraded, the process becomes cleaner. In addition, larger items will be charged overnight during off-peak hours. This supports the already huge sustainability benefits of rental for the construction industry. When you rent your fleet, especially an electrified fleet, you are going green on your job site.

While battery-powered and electrified construction equipment isn’t new, it is at a tipping point where we have the power to move the construction industry forward and continue to show that rental is Clean. Safe. Essential. To build the future.