Electric mini from Sany

Chinese equipment manufacturer Sany showcased a prototype mini excavator at Intermat - one of two electric minis it is developing for the European market.

The manufacturer had its 1.6 tonne SY16E electric mini excavator on display at its stand, and said it was also developing a 7.5 tonne model.

The zero emissions machines are powered by batteries that can run for four to five hours, and the smaller model has a 10 kW motor, while the larger is fitted with a 30 kW motor.

"Sany's newly developed electrical mini excavator is not only low noise and zero emission, but it also reduces the production cost by over 15% compared with the traditional hydraulic excavators," the company said.

Sany is testing the machines as part of a wider research and development (R&D) effort to meet the requirements of high-end US and European demand for environmentally friendly and energy saving machines. Sany said it was also developing hybrid hydraulic excavators as part of its R&D programme.