As battery-powered construction equipment gains popularity, several light equipment manufacturers have adopted the Battery One Battery (BOB) system, which allows the same battery to power various machines from different OEMS.
Wacker Neuson began using the battery in 2014 and the system now works with 11 different products. Bomag adopted the BOB for its electrically powered rammers in 2021. Now Mikasa, Swepac and Enarco have decided to use the same battery in their compaction equipment.
To ensure instant recognizability among customers and users, these interoperable batteries and chargers are all marked with Battery One branding.
“The availability of a multi-vendor interchangeable battery for construction equipment is key to the growing adoption of electromobility on building sites,” said Stefan Pfetsch, Managing Director of Wacker Neuson Produktion GmbH.
“Compatibility provides huge benefits for the customers. We see demand for battery-operated equipment growing all the time. With Battery One, we make it easier for customers to go electric – in particular to switch from products that were previously powered by conventional drive technologies.”
Battery One options
The lithium-ion Battery One battery is available as the BOB10 with 1,008 watt hours of output and the BOB14 with 1,425 watt hours of output.
The maintenance-free batteries use a push-button start and provide constant power output over the entire discharge phase, ensuring a consistently high level of performance.
As well, two Battery One chargers are available. The BOC7 is a 48 Volt 7 Amp standard charger and the BOC13 is a 48 Volt 13 Amp fast charger. The BOC7 will charge the BOB10 in about 2.5 hours, while the BOC13 reduces the charge time to about 80 minutes. All batteries come in a transport BOX and the BOX13 comes with a 48 Volt 13 Amp charger to ensure the battery is ready to go when you hit the job site.
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“Battery One’s compatibility across different brands and products will further increase the penetration of electric equipment and the sustainability of battery lifecycle management on construction sites,” said Ralf Junker, President of Bomag GmbH.
“Together with our customers, we are helping to make construction sites around the world more environmentally friendly.”
OEM collaboration
Future-fit battery technology is a key driver for the development and incentivization of sustainable products. Wacker Neuson intends to collaborate with other manufacturers incorporating the BOB system to establish a standard for construction equipment batteries.
To discuss the possibility of a battery standard, the vendors will engage in negotiations to establish the exact nature and implementation timeline for the concept while respecting antitrust requirements.
The collaboration is inspired by the idea that customers will benefit from cost savings when they invest in battery-powered products, creating strong momentum for the wider uptake of zero emission equipment on construction sites.
Establishing a battery standard
The establishment of a construction equipment battery standard would also simplify construction site workflows and logistics by eliminating the need to manage different battery and charging systems. The aim is to make the battery system available to further manufacturers in the construction sector.
“A powerful and interchangeable battery solves a number of challenges on the building site, such as the need to extend battery runtimes, accelerate charging times and lower equipment and infrastructure costs,” said Hironari Kyoya, President of Mikasa Sangyo. “All of this adds up to greater convenience for our customers.”
Wacker Neuson’s and Swepac’s interoperable products are already identified with the Battery One branding.
Soon, Bomag, Mikasa and Enarco will also be adding the Battery One logo to their compatible batteries.
