Chinese crane manufacturer XCMG unveiled a 60 tonne hybrid All Terrain crane at Bauma based on the company’s existing XCA60 E. The hybrid XCA60 EV model was designed specifically for the European market with the help of Dutch crane customers and will soon be available for sale.

The crane’s hydraulic system is powered by a massive 170kW electrical motor, with three potential operating modes: the diesel engine which is equipped with a generator, or the crane can be connected to a 32 or 64 amp AC power outlet for continuous emission free operation with performance matching or exceeding the diesel, and finally the crane can also operate electrically without plugging in, thanks to its built-in 115kWh high capacity lithium ion battery pack, which is apparently good for up to four hours of crane operation. The batteries can also be recharged from the AC outlet or the diesel engine, with excess power topping up the battery pack. This includes recharging while travelling.

The three axle carrier has all wheel steer as standard along with front and rear axle drive, although all wheel drive is available. The crane has an independent suspension system, which looks quite similar to that used on the Grove GMKs. The ‘Dual-Power’ drive concept is a type of hybrid system, which combines power from both the diesel and the electric motor, for both road and off road travel, with the electrical motor intervening intelligently to maximise the energy utilisation. According to XCMG the combination provides up to 400kW of power and has been proven to reduce fuel consumption by around 40 percent. In addition to everything else the crane is equipped with regenerative braking and coasting allowing it to generate electricity to top up the batteries.

Thinking on the needs of the European market and focusing on the growing demands for the use of renewable resources and mainly on the reduction of emissions, which XCMG believes is a trend in large European cities. This crane was developed with the support from companies in the Netherlands, who gave XCMG many important inputs in the design phase.