Proto Labs : Commercial Fleet Vehicles, Heavy Equipment Sectors Plug in to Electric Future

Construction Segment Already Plugged In

In addition, the heavy-construction equipment industry has already been quietly deploying electric technology for several years to the point that now more than a dozen equipment manufacturers produce electric machines such as excavators, loaders, and trucks, including Caterpillar's all-electric, 26-ton excavator. In fact, in 2019, Volvo Construction Equipment announced it would stop making certain diesel models and only manufacture electric versions.

And What About Autonomous Vehicles for Fleet Use?

Don't forget the potential of autonomous vehicles (AV). As we noted in our EV trend report, most industry observers say that AV technology will take longer to develop and launch for consumer use.

However, given recent supply chain issues, and the major shortage of truck drivers in North America, that development and launch could be accelerated for commercial vehicles. With the building of infrastructure to support AVs, this technology could be deployed for truck fleets in less populated areas located outside cities such as warehouse-to-warehouse deliveries within a distribution network.

Meanwhile, autonomous or self-driving vehicles are also rolling onto the heavy machinery landscape at construction sites, mining operations, oil drilling enterprises, farming operations, and more.

John Deere announced at the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas that it will release a fully autonomous version of its 8R tractor for purchase this year that's ready for large-scale production.

Heavy machinery companies such as Komatsu, Caterpillar, and Volvo Trucks are already using autonomous heavy equipment vehicles in mining and other operations around the world. For instance, Komatsu's Autonomous Haulage System, which launched in 2008, has moved more than two billion tons of surface material and now deploys about 150 self-driving trucks in nine mining sites on three continents.

For now, the automotive industry is wrangling with existential supply chain shortfalls-especially a shortage of computer chips-which are disrupting sales and revenues for automakers. But the overall industry pivot to EVs will continue and looks to be led by those stalwart workhorses of the automotive segment-commercial fleet vehicles and heavy equipment.

Industry Spotlight is a periodic look at manufacturing trends.

Gurvinder Singh is Protolabs' global product director for injection molding.