Liebherr Rolls Out 55-USt All Terrain with Electric Power
April 11, 2022 – Liebherr has unveiled a 55-USt capacity three-axle all-terrain crane that can run on electric power.
Liebherr unveiled the new LTC 1050-3.1 to the international trade press at an held live at the factory in Ehingen, Germany, and streamed live on line.
Liebherr developed the electric power unit for the LTC 1050-3.1 using the slogan “Zero emission, full power.”
Dr Ulrich Hamme, technical director at Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH, says: “We want to be able to offer our customers full crane performance even with the alternative electric power unit. The LTC 1050-3.1 still has a conventional internal combustion engine, powered by diesel or HVO, for driving on roads and for crane operations. However, as an alternative, it also has an electric power unit for crane operations so that it generates zero emissions. That means that all the familiar usage properties of the crane will be retained, regardless of whether the crane operations are powered by its zero-emission electric motor or its internal combustion engine.”
Maximum Flexibility
The new alternative LTC 1050-3.1 delivers the best possible combination of green credentials, customer benefits, and efficiency. On the road and off, it has a conventional, low-emission internal combustion engine that complies with emissions stage 5 and develops 243 kW (326 bhp). The engine can be fueled with hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) with absolutely no restrictions, enabling it to reduce its CO2 emissions by up to 90 % compared to fueling it with diesel.
Either the engine or the electric motor can be selected in crane mode depending on the conditions for the job. The latter minimizes both air and noise emissions, so the crane can work in noise-sensitive areas and in “zero emission areas.”
Simple Electric Motor Concept
The newly developed power unit featuring an electric motor develops 72 kW. It enables the crane to be operated with almost the same performance as using the 6-cylinder internal-combustion engine.
The electric motor uses the existing hydraulic pump, which is mounted directly on the powershift transmission on the conventional LTC 1050-3.1, to transfer the power to the functions in the crane superstructure.
Only the electric motor and a distributor gear as well as the required control equipment must be added to the conventional LTC 1050-3.1 model to transform it into an electric version.
The distributor gear is located directly between the crane pump and the powershift transmission. This clever-yet-simple solution enables the operator to switch between diesel-hydraulic power and electro-hydraulic power. Site current at 125A is required to achieve full performance, but the crane also operates very well with a 63A supply.
Alternatively, the crane can operate using an external conventional battery pack if the site does not have the appropriate electrical infrastructure.
Liebherr supplies the electric model of the LTC 1050-3.1 for the version with the 118’ Telematik telescopic boom.
The Remote Drive option for remote-controlled driving and height-adjustable elevating cab are also available for the new crane.
The prototype with the electric power unit is currently undergoing intensive testing and Liebherr is planning to deliver the first models in 2023.
