Maeda & Deutz reveal all-electric crawler crane

German motor manufacturer Deutz has joined forces with Japanese crane manufacturer Maeda to unveil the all-electric CC 1485 crawler crane. Deutz plans to start series production of the electric drive in 2023. Deutz has also announced a whole new ‘Green’ segment, including marine drives and batteries.

For the cooperation on the fully electric crawler crane, Deutz provided the electric drive that Maeda Seisakusho then integrated into the CC 1485.  The vehicle uses a 360-volt drive powered by a lithium-ion battery and offers an output of up to 40 kW. The two companies presented the prototype at the ‘Deutz Days’ trade event.

The CC 1485 mini crawler crane has a lifting capacity of six tonnes. Deutz describes the vehicle as being “the powerhouse of the Maeda crane series”. “The green construction site is not a dream of the future, it is reality,” says Deutz CTO Markus Müller. “The CC 1485 is already fully functional. Our electric drive is quiet, efficient and emission-free.”

Tomiaki Habasaki, executive general manager at Maeda, says: “Maeda has already been in the electrified vehicle market with its small “spider-crane” in Europe. We experience a strong pick-up in demand from our customers for environmentally friendly products. In order to electrify our crawler crane we decided on a joint development with Deutz as Deutz is known for its proven technology and experience in electrified drive trains for off-highway equipment.”

Deutz starts Green segment incl. Torqeedo and Futavis

The range of electric drives is made by the German manufacturer is likely to be expanded soon, since Deutz has decided to differentiate its products into two different segments ‘Classic’ and ‘Green.’ This new categorisation will already begin on 1 January 2022.

The activities shown in the ‘Green’ segment will not only include purely battery-electric drives and batteries but also hydrogen-powered motors. Currently, the activities reported in the Green segment accounted for around 60 million euros or about four per cent of turnover. By 2031, the segment is expected to grow to more than 50 per cent of Group turnover.

The Deutz subsidiary Torqeedo that specialises in making electric marine drives and the battery management specialist Futavis will also be included in the Green segment. Deutz’s activities in the development, manufacture, sales and maintenance of diesel engines, on the other hand, will be bundled in the Classic segment.

“The new segmentation of our commercial operations will, above all, provide the capital markets with a more transparent picture of our work on off-highway technology for a carbon-neutral future,” says Dr Frank Hiller, CEO at Deutz. “It is backed by a growth strategy that very clearly sets out our milestones and activities in the period up to 2031,” he reveals, adding that: “The new strategy leaves DEUTZ’s employees in no doubt that the Company is fully committed to the transformation of its product portfolio.”

deutz.com (electric crawler crane), deutz.com (new green segment)