An almost circular system, the electricity generated from an AD plant could provide the power to the same loading shovel being used to feed the bio-gas unit. With this in mind we take a closer look at the 24t, battery-powered LiuGong 870HE loading shovel. 

KEEPING IT BRIEF

  • LiuGong is primarily in the construction sector with excavators, loaders, skid-steers, access equipment and forklifts.
  • The battery pack is covered by a five-year/10,000 hour warranty.

The 870HE is just one machine within LiuGong’s growing range of electric models, which get a green paint job to differentiate them from the firm’s much bigger range of diesel-fuelled ‘yellow’ machines. For instance, there are now seven combustion engine loaders and five electric: the 820TE, 838TE, 848TE, 856HE … and the biggest is the featured 870HE.

Electric from the start

LiuGong designed this 24.3t loader as an electric machine from the outset, developing an all-new model rather than converting an existing diesel-powered loader. The result boasts two big electric motors, each rated at 160kW: one powers the driveline, the other the hydraulic components.

The battery pack is sourced from a company called Catl and is completely enclosed in the rear of the machine.

The LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) batteries from Catl have a capacity of 423kWh and are designed for 30,000 charging cycles — and, even after that, they are estimated to retain 80% of their original capacity. 

Four rads cool the various hydraulic and electric systems.

According to a digester operator who has been testing out the big loader, the battery capacity is enough to handle a day’s work. Recharging takes 90 minutes with a 300kW connection. But if you don’t have this level of power available, the 870 can be charged overnight. The batteries are also suitable for bidirectional operation (that’s charging and discharging).

Two speed ranges 

LiuGong develops and manufactures both the transmissions and axles in-house. These have been adapted for life in the electric vehicle. It has a mechanical gearbox with two speed ranges in each direction: loading is carried out in the first speed; faster paced work is carried out in second range, where it can reach its maximum of 40km/hr.

Powerful hydraulics

The hydraulics are powered and cooled separately — the 870HE has a total of four rads in its cooling pack. A fixed displacement and a variable displacement pump supply the oil, and the boom functions are operated from an electro-hydraulic joystick. Even when mixing functions, the operation is smooth. With the stopwatch out, it took the boom just over five seconds to reach its full height.

Choice of booms

The standard boom on the 870HE has a  total maximum lift height of 4.47m (at the headstock’s pivot pin). There are also two high-lift versions with +60cm and +100cm more lift. Maximum reach with the standard boom is 1.26m. The bucket on the featured machine had a capacity of almost 4.7m³. For its implement carriage, LiuGong uses the ISO quick coupler (‘Volvo’ mounting).

The cab appears well-made with ample space for even the lankiest operators. Loader operation is with three levers, while the piano key arrangement should be familiar to Volvo users.

Cab with high standards

The 870HE has very good cab access. All of the handles and steps are painted orange, so operators immediately know where to place their hold and to step. This not only applies to the area around the battery pack but also the cab for safe cleaning off of the windows. The cab itself is well finished and offers ample space, even for taller loader operators.

For an extra £?,???/€2,000, the 870HE can be operated with the optional Volvo-esq three-lever ‘piano control’ instead of the standard joystick. The 870HE that we took on test was very precise, allowing smooth mixing of the boom and auxiliary controls. All boom and bucket positions can be easily saved in the operating menu.

Speaking of which, the terminal is easy to fathom and is logically laid out. The same applies to the toggle switches for additional functions such as the lights. An optional joystick steering system is available (€4,200 but not homologated for road use). Standard SKF central lubrication further adds to the operator niceties.

In use

When it came to tearing out and scooping silage from the silage clamp face to feed the digester, the 870HE proved its worth. The loader runs noticeably quieter than a diesel machine, but it is by no means silent; there is still some noise from the fan and other components, which is perhaps no bad thing when moving around a busy yard.

Visibility is fine, with a reasonable view of the boom and attachments. The cab offers a decent workspace, which is not always the case with some other Chinese machines. The dash display provides all of the essential information, such as the battery’s exact remaining runtime.

Compared to conventional loaders, the price of €435,000 in Germany (we couldn’t get a price from the LiuGong in the UK). is clearly not cheap –  LiuGong’s equivalent diesel model, the 24.5t 877H, but this 286hp diesel can’t be used as a buffer for storing self-produced solar power that can be drawn from the batteries at night.

Christian Brüse

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