Development of electric construction machinery in China: a review of key technologies and future directions

Abstract

The issues of energy shortage and environmental pollution have accelerated the electrification of construction machinery (CM) industry globally. In China, the amount of electric construction machinery (ECM) has been growing across the industry. The sales of ECM are estimated to reach 600 000 vehicles by the end of 2025, while the total demand for battery power will reach 60 GWh. However, the development of ECM still faces critical challenges including reliable power supply and energy distribution among various components. In this review, we primarily focus on important technological breakthroughs and the difficulties faced by the CM industry in China. An overview of ECM including classification and characteristics is given at the beginning. Next, the selection of key components such as the electric motor and the energy storage units, and the control strategy in the pure electric drive system are discussed. The characteristics of the hybrid electric drive system such as structure design and power matching are analyzed in detail. The battery management system (BMS) is critical to ensure appropriate battery health for reliable power supply. Here, we extensively review technical developments in various BMSs. In addition, we roughly estimate the national total of CM emissions and the potential environmental benefits of employing ECMs in China. Finally, we set out future research directions and industrial development of ECM.