Tadano delivers first unit of electric rough terrain crane

The first unit delivered of Tadano’s EVOLT eGR-250N rough terrain crane. Photo: Tadano

In April 2022 crane manufacturer Tadano announced it was working on a fully battery-electric rough terrain crane and that development has now reached fruition.

Less than a year later the Japan-headquartered company showed a prototype, the GR-1000XLL EVOLT, at the ConExpo trade show in the USA in March 2023. Now, for the Japanese market, it has delivered the first production unit, an EVOLT eGR-250N. Customer Taihei Dengyo has added the 25 tonne capacity fully battery-electric rough terrain crane to its equipment fleet. It will be used on a power plant construction project in Japan for the next two years.

Tadano said the EVOLT eGR-250N is the world’s first fully electric rough terrain crane put into practical use, further describing it as “a pivotal addition to Tadano’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and embracing sustainable practices.”

It will help in Tadano’s aim to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its machines by 35 per cent by 2030, heading towards complete climate neutrality by 2050.

EVOLT is designed to offer the same performance as its diesel equivalent. Working radius is 34 metres, its maximum lifting height from the ground is 44.2 metres, and it can travel at up to 49 km/h.

Electric benefits

Lower noise, both at work and in transit driving on the road (which is allowed in Japan) is a further environmental benefit of the new crane. Power is provided via a pair of electric motors offering a maximum output of 97 kW (132 PS) and an impressive maximum torque of 2,500 Nm.

The energy for these comes from a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 226 kW-h. A fully charged machine gives “an average day of crane work and driving in the Japanese construction landscape,” the company said. This equates to around 5 hours of crane work and 42 km of road travel on a full charge. On site, just being used for lifting, the run time should be around 11 hours. When just driving on the road a full charge should give 70 km.

Conventional automotive style CHAdeMO quick charging can be used and for normal charging there is a 200 Volt three-phase AC commercial connection. This means the crane can also work plugged in on site without having to wait for batteries to recharge. Quick charging takes around 2.5 hours and normal charging needs 8 hours.

The first production unit of Tadano’s 25 tonne capacity electric rough terrain crane has been delivered, to Taihei Dengyo in Japan. Photo: Tadano