With a new mountable battery pack introduced at The Utility Expo 2021, Terex is bringing fuel-saving, hybrid operation to crane truck operators.
Terex partnered with Viatec and Zero Motorcycles to create the Hyper Smart PTO, which allows truck operators to power a crane and keep the cab comfortable without idling the truck’s engine.
So, rather than pulling power from the engine, this PTO provides power through a big battery pack that mounts to your truck.
“This fills a big market need and we’ve had a lot of customer engagement about giving those hybrid options,” said Joe Caywood, Director of Marketing and Product Support at Terex. “This is designed as a very simple, powerful system.”
The Smart PTO is available in a wide range of high capacities from 7.2 kWh all the way up to 28 kWh, ensuring that as long as you plug the pack in and let it charge overnight, you’ll always have enough juice to power your crane and cab for a full work day.
“This [7.2 kWh configuration] is going on a smaller truck, so what we’ve found working with customers in our studies and that duty cycle, this 7.2 gets them through a full shift of operation,” Caywood says.
Terex intends this as a mid-term solution to save utility customers on fuel costs until battery-electric trucks can handle heavy duty work. But even as a mid-term solution, the potential cost savings are pretty big.
“But remember that full day, operators aren’t in just one position operating the boom. They’re driving to the jobsite, they’re setting up, they’re doing their safety checks. We don’t want to idle that engine while this boom is flying or we’re in the cab completing paperwork.”
Another benefit? The Smart PTO also cuts down on noise. Not only is a quieter work environment more pleasant to work in and less disruptive to those around you, it’s also safer for your crew size it allows everyone to communicate more clearly without having to talk over the sound of an idling engine.
The Hypower Smart PTO is available now.
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