Commercial EV manufacturer Proterra has announced a partnership with construction equipment builder Komatsu to develop a battery-electric middle-class hydraulic excavator. The collaboration represents Proterra’s entry into the off-road vehicle market, and the company’s first Proterra Powered construction equipment.

Komatsu will use Proterra’s battery systems to develop a proof-of-concept electric excavator this year, and expects to proceed to commercial production in 2023 or 2024. Proterra says the packaging flexibility of its battery platform will enable the optimal placement of the batteries within Komatsu’s excavator, eliminating the need for the usual counterweight to balance the excavator’s hydraulic arm movements.

Proterra says its battery packs are ideal for off-road construction applications, in which safety and durability are of the utmost importance. The company designs its batteries with safety as a core guiding principle, and puts its packs through a rigorous testing process to ensure they can withstand the toughest conditions.

“Proterra’s best-in-class battery technology has been proven in 16 million miles driven by our fleet of transit vehicles,” said Proterra CEO Jack Allen. “What’s working in our battery-electric transit vehicles on roads across North America can work off-road, too.”

Source: Proterra