Given the urgent need to limit the impact of climate change, ABB is helping businesses accelerate decarbonization by delivering complete electrical powertrain solutions for a range of industrial vehicles, transportation, and marine vessels. While most vehicles and vessels are still diesel-powered, electrification solutions comprising motors, inverters, controllers, and energy storage systems have rapidly advanced and offer immediate benefits, the firm said.
With more than 130 years of experience in electrifying applications, including trains, busses, and vehicles used in harsh environments like mining, ABB is ideally placed to help the world to reduce the use of diesel engines across all applications.
The new whitepaper from ABB outlines the multiple benefits of electrification, which include dramatically improved energy efficiency, reduced CO₂ emissions, lower total cost of ownership, and less noise and vibration than diesel systems.
For example, replacing the diesel engine in a 24-tonne excavator with an ABB electric powertrain – which combines battery power with a high-efficiency electric motor and drive – can eliminate 48 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. In addition, regenerative braking for industrial vehicles can reduce fuel consumption by up to 30%.
On average, electric vehicles have operating costs as much as 60% lower than equivalent vehicles powered by a diesel engine. This is mainly due to improved efficiency, reduced fuel consumption, and reduced maintenance needs.
“As regulators worldwide set more stringent emissions targets, applying electrification technology to industrial vehicles, transportation, and vessels is a clear and necessary step,” said Stefan Floeck, division president, ABB IEC low-voltage motors. "Electrification is an important component of any Net Zero strategy – and it also presents a positive economic case for operators in terms of total cost of ownership.”
Edgar Keller, division president, Traction, ABB, continued, “ABB’s deep domain expertise in electric powertrains carries over to the electrification of industrial vehicles, such as dump trucks and excavators used in mining and construction. Electrical powertrains are well proven in rail transport too; the technology is mature and can be easily and effectively applied across many other sectors like construction and material handling equipment.”
You can read the full Sustainable Transport whitepaper here.