Wacker adds extra spark to wheeled loader

German equipment manufacture Wacker Neuson has added an Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) battery to its WL20e electric wheeled loader.

The company said the battery’s electrolyte was bound in a fleece made of glass fibre, making it a leak-proof system. The new technology is also less sensitive to temperature and develops little heat during operation and charging, resulting in an increased electric power output.

The WL20e was originally launched in 2015 and is part of Wacker’s zero-emission series, which also includes two battery-powered rammers, the dual power mini-excavator and a tracked dumper.

A full-charged battery is said to result in five hours of operation, while the operator can keep track of the battery’s charge on the display screen. The battery is also said to be virtually maintenance-free.

The wheeled loader has a height of 2.25m and a width of just over 1m, resulting in easy transport from site to site on a trailer.

With a height of 2.25 meters and a width of just over 1 meter, low and narrow passages, and transport on a trailer are no problem for the Wacker Neuson WL20e wheel loader— however, the operator's protective canopy is too high to pass through very low clearance heights of less than 2 meters.