For Coremans Groep from Breda, machinist Bart Severijns has been working on an electric mobile earthmoving machine supplied by dealer Staad for over a year now. Bart is clearly delighted with it and would not want anything else, he says. At first, he was mainly curious about what the machine would bring, but he soon noticed that there is no difference compared to the diesel machines he used to work on. He can do exactly the same with this machine as with the diesels and works full working days without having to recharge. "I even have capacity left at the end of the working day," says Bart.
We visited Bart for an experience report on the DX165W Electric mobile excavator he is working on and went to visit him in Spijkenisse in the province of South Holland. He is working here for Heijmans, in which the livery of his machine is also sprayed. This machine is often active in civil engineering and in the weekends also in asphalt maintenance, where the machine then assists the asphalt machine, but also puts the milling cutter in the depot and takes it out again so that people can continue. We are now working on a project where the bus station and the tram stop are being renovated, enlarged and renewed.
Experience report continues below the image
Bart is used to working for Coremans Groep in a different way. “What started for me eight years ago with an internship at this great company, with good ambitions at the time, became my permanent job after my training as a machinist. I think it is a great company to work for, also good what they do with regard to sustainability, but especially how they do it together with all colleagues every day. Coremans Groep likes to make a green contribution and you have seen that in recent years in the purchase of various cleaner stage V diesels and now also with emission-free electric earthmoving machines. An electric crawler excavator was also recently purchased and since the end of June they have also been renting an electric DX165W. I found it exciting that I was allowed to work on an electric machine because you never know everything in advance. But to this day I still experience this as pleasant”, says Bart.
When we ask about some major changes, Bart answers that the noise of the DX165W Electric mobile excavator while running is really a lot less than with his previous diesels. “You can still hear the hydraulics when running, but also the fans of the air conditioning. And that's a good thing, because too quiet is also not good,” says Bart. He indicates that he finds the air conditioning in the cabin ideal during the tropical days, of which there are more and more in the Netherlands. “This machine does what it has to do anyway and is very fast and strong. Even faster than the diesel machines I ran on. I like the quick response and from what I understand this can be set to each operator's own preference,” says Bart.
Bart himself really likes not having to change the Powerbox 400, but indicates that it is good that this is possible because then you can continue immediately after changing. “When I got the machine, there were 2 smaller Powerboxes with less power on this machine and I had to change more often. That went well, but I was not in favor of that because then you have to plan and arrange more. By the way, I needed 3 Powerboxes of 140 kWh to complete the day, the last Powerbox was not completely empty but had to be changed more often”.
This machine was converted a while ago and now has a larger Powerbox 400 on it. “I don’t even have to change it anymore, at the end of the working day I drive to the charger, click the plug in and the next morning the Powerbox 400 with 400 kWh is completely full again. By the way, this Powerbox 400 is never empty, at the end of the day there is often still 20% in it,” says Bart. Bart indicates that when the machine has to drive a lot further, for example from the office to a project nearby and back again, the machine consumes relatively more than during operation itself. But even then the working day can be completed well and he doesn’t have to change it.
“At very high temperatures, from 30 degrees, you notice that the machine consumes a bit more. Logical, because just because of the air conditioning that runs all day, you consume more. Not having to change and that there is still capacity left at the end of the working day really reassures me,” says Bart. He does indicate that it is not always convenient for the client to install charging points, but this is always arranged for Bart when he arrives at a job, Heijmans always arranges that well.
Experience report continues below the image, with a beautiful photo album of this machine at work. Read on quickly.
When we ask the driver directly how he likes the machine, Bart answers matter-of-factly: “Good”. Bart likes the cabin, it is spacious and the controls are the same as with his previous machines and he likes them. This machine is extremely stable and he can do everything with it with regard to the work he has to do. “The view to the front is a bit less, but that always differs per machine brand and it is certainly not bad either. The view to the rear is just fine. A small point of attention is the operation of the lighting, I do not find it convenient because I have to press several buttons on both the left and right in the cabin to turn on the lighting. I have the experience that this can be done in one place”, says Bart. It is good to mention that the point of the lighting has been adjusted and that this is now arranged in one place as standard.
“From the start, Staad’s service and support have been good. I and other Coremans Group machinists who work on Staad machines can always go to Staad based on what I hear and experience myself,” says Bart. He continues: “After a good demonstration of the machine by Staad demonstrator Frank Verbij, I was able to get started right away. Frank gave me his mobile number and I know for sure that if I call him now, he will help me almost immediately. In the beginning, this was very useful, but now you know exactly how everything works with the machine. It’s just nice to know that you can count on Frank and Staad. If Frank doesn’t know, I call the service department and then it always works out fine.”
Coremans Groep is also one of the participants in the consortium: The 'Construction Site of Tomorrow.' Together with seven other companies, they will work with electrical equipment and test its operation. Together with TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research), these research results will be shared and, in addition to informing the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), they can also tell the sector what is involved. In this way, the sector can learn from these cases and hopefully be able and dare to take the step towards zero emissions more quickly.
“By participating in De Bouwplaats van Morgen we really learned a lot from and with each other. This was done very practically via our own group app in which we centrally shared our findings, questions, comments and solutions with all other participants and stakeholders. Much was new to everyone at the time, but by working closely together and constantly informing each other, this has all become self-evident nowadays. When something unexpected happens, you can rule out for yourself more easily and quickly what the possible cause could be. If it is something new, then when the problem has been solved you share the solution with each other, the other participants really benefit from that too,” says Bram Coremans.
More information about the DX165W Electric mobile excavator can be found on the product page online. Here you will find specifications, images and the product brochure can be downloaded. If you have any questions or are interested in this or any of the other electric earthmoving machines that we sell at Staad, you can contact one of the representatives, who are also visible on this product page.
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