Electric mini excavators and skid steers are ready for many urban jobs. The site's power supply often isn't: most sites run on a generator until the permanent grid connection is installed, which defeats the point of an electric fleet.
Rental companies are answering with towable charging trailers: large battery packs with DC fast-charging outlets, recharged overnight at the depot or from a temporary grid supply. A typical 250 kWh trailer can top up three or four compact machines at lunch.
Bundled rentals
The trailers are increasingly rented as a package with the machines, priced per day like any other attachment. That means a contractor can bid an emissions-free job without planning its own charging.
Several city tender rules now give extra points for zero-emission sites, and rental companies report demand for the packages is outpacing supply this autumn.