ETEC prefers quality over commerciality

Ask ETEC director Sander de Regt for his opinion on the many experimental electric machines that have recently entered the market, his answer is telling: "For us, the technical side is much more important than the commercial side."

ETEC of Waddinxveen is a subsidiary of the ELM Group, which also includes Doosan dealer ELM Bouwmachines and rental company Rent- ELM. ETEC focuses mainly on electric and demolition machines plus customization and does so under the brand names ETEC Zero Emission, ETEC Demolition and ETEC Specialties.

The electric machine builder has a clear stance: "ELM is committed to the climate and we use our knowledge and expertise to develop zero emission equipment. With our modern electric excavators, we are setting the new standard for the construction site of the future."

It immediately makes it clear why De Regt has great difficulty with fellow companies who shout all kinds of things about kilowatt hours in relation to productivity. Is it possible to work a whole day with the machine without charging in between? Given the often gigantic investments that companies have to make in order to work emission-free, the customer must be informed correctly. De Regt notes that this is often not the case.

Minimum full working day

Already, and entirely unjustifiably according to De Regt, the electric-powered machine is getting an image problem because it would not make it to the end of the day... "We ourselves are at least developing and building affordable and technically sound machines. In doing so, we are showing that an electric excavator is not inferior to a diesel." 

He also sees plenty of challenges in getting emissions down to zero percent on construction sites. For example, De Regt is concerned about the high cost of providing power at work and does not see anything wrong with the far too expensive system of battery change kits "I therefore think that parties must now stand up and start providing power at work at an affordable price, because otherwise the emission-free construction site will remain a utopia!"

Developed in-house

"Our electrically driven machines really have to be finished before we put them on the market. With us no big numbers like with the 'big' brands, who need that to finance development costs. We start small, develop a reliable and affordable electric drive line as enthusiasts, and only when it has proven itself in practice do we start thinking about making money from our ETEC machines," De Regt said.

Since ETEC develops and produces the machines entirely in-house, clients always have a single point of contact. Should breakdowns occur, this is taken care of in-house via a proven breakdown service that is available 24/7 and - not unimportantly - has expertise in both hydraulics and electrical engineering.