Electric construction machines: how they work, which ones exist, and how much they save

Electric excavators, wheel loaders and mining trucks are no longer trade-show prototypes — they dig, load and haul every day in quarries and on job sites around the world. This guide explains how they work, which variants exist, how they compare to diesel, and — with pencil and paper — how much they can save per year. All thirteen electric machines in our catalog come from a single maker — JGM of Xiamen, China, building loaders and excavators since 1979 — so batteries, chargers and service logic are shared across the range.

What does "electric machine" mean?

There are two electric designs in construction equipment:

• Battery machines — carry their own LFP battery (lithium iron phosphate) and run with no cable at all. They charge like an electric car, only at much higher power. Example: the JGM 9250EV with a 422 kWh battery.
• Cable machines (CC) — draw continuous power from a 380 V mains supply through a cable reel. No battery to run down, so they work 24/7 in pits and tunnels. Example: the 47.5-tonne JGM 9480E-CC.

Both have zero tailpipe emissions at the work site — which is why they are the standard choice for tunnels, urban sites and mines with strict environmental rules.

How does an electric machine work?

The principle is simple: battery → inverter → electric motors, and the motors drive the same proven hydraulics as a diesel.

1. Battery. LFP cells are the standard — durable, safe, with thousands of charge cycles. Capacities in our lineup range from 63 kWh in the compact loader to 846 kWh in the largest mining truck.
2. Motors. Synchronous permanent-magnet motors replace the diesel engine — one for travel, one for the hydraulic pump. Full torque is available instantly, from zero rpm.
3. Hydraulics. Cylinders, valves and attachments are the same as on diesel — so the breaker, grapple or bucket performs identically, and wear-part support is unchanged.
4. Regeneration. When braking, lowering the boom or driving downhill, the motors become generators and feed current back into the battery. For mining trucks descending loaded, this is a huge saving.
5. No idling losses. An electric motor draws nothing while the machine waits — unlike a diesel, which burns fuel while queuing for trucks.

Charging: how long does it take and what do you need?

• Fast DC charging — the JGM standard is a dual-gun plug at 120 kW and above. The small JGM 912EV-Pro fully recharges in about 60 minutes from a 120 kW dual-gun DC charger — a lunch break, and the machine is ready for a second shift. The loaders charge through GB/T or European CCS2 plugs.
• Overnight charging — most machines fully recharge overnight from an industrial socket, so they start the morning with a "full tank".
• Cable machines — need a 380 V substation near the pit (the JGM 9480E-CC runs a 200 kW motor directly from 380 V), but in return have no charging downtime and no limit on working hours. The trade-off is limited mobility — the machine works within cable reach and needs cable handling and a planned route.
• Mobile energy — JGM also offers mobile chargers with their own battery (106 to 1293 kWh, expandable to 4800 kWh, 60–200 kW per gun), plus stationary DC chargers from 30 to 960 kW, so the charger comes to the machine where there is no grid nearby.

Battery life, winter work and service

• Battery life. JGM uses LFP cells with liquid cooling and IP67 dust/water protection, rated for thousands of charge cycles. Exact warranty and replacement cost depend on model and cycles — ask us for a quote for your machine.
• Winter and quarries. JGM rates its electric loaders for −35 to +45 °C and altitudes under 5,000 m. Expect shorter runtime in deep cold, same as any battery machine — overnight charging in a hall helps.
• Service. No engine oil, filters or AdBlue. Cylinders, valves and attachments are the same as on diesel, so wear-part support is unchanged. High-voltage service is done by trained technicians — contact us for the service plan.

Which variants are available?

Electric wheel loaders

Model	Weight	Rated load	Battery	Runtime per charge
JGM 820E	6.5 t	2 t	63 kWh	~6 h
JGM 860E	19 t	5.8 t	350 or 400 kWh	8–12 h
JGM 870E	22.5 t	6.8 t	400–422 kWh	8–12 h
JGM 771FT32E	35.3 t	32 t (forks)	423 kWh	8–10 h

The 771FT32E is its own category — a stone-block fork loader on an articulated loader chassis (32 t forks, 423 kWh, 8–10 h per charge).

The 860E and 870E share a Bosch Rexroth Le-ElectriX three-motor drive — two 120 kW drive motors plus a 105 kW pump motor — with buckets from 3.0 to 5.0 m³ depending on the variant (standard, coal, enlarged).

Electric excavators

Model	Weight	Bucket	Battery / supply
JGM 912EV-Pro	10 t (wheeled)	0.4 m³	141 kWh
JGM 9250EV	25 t	1.2 m³	422 kWh
JGM 9360EV	36 t	1.8 m³	600 kWh
JGM 9360E-CC	36 t	1.8–2.0 m³	380 V cable
JGM 9480E-CC	47.5 t	2.8 m³	380 V cable

The cable models run 200 kW motors directly on 380 V — digging forces reach 147 kN at the bucket on the 9360E-CC and 256 kN on the 9480E-CC — and are the right choice where a machine digs from one spot for months.

Electric mining trucks

Model	Payload	Battery	Motor
JGM 3090E	60 t	404 kWh	315 kW
JGM 3108E	70 t	423 kWh	496 kW
JGM 3135E	90 t	801 kWh	570 kW
JGM 3160E	100 t	846 kWh	PMSM drive

On the 90-tonne 3135E the body is 50 m³ struck / 57 m³ heaped, and optional TBOX remote monitoring, a hydraulic retarder and on-board weighing optimise fleet loading.

Electric vs diesel

	Electric	Diesel
Tailpipe emissions	Zero on site	CO₂, NOx, soot
Noise	Noticeably quieter (JGM specifies over 50% less noise for the 912EV-Pro vs diesel in its class)	Standard
Energy cost	About 1/3 of diesel	Full fuel price
Maintenance	No oil, filters, AdBlue	Regular servicing
Torque	Instant, from zero rpm	With delay
Cab vibration	Minimal	Standard
Purchase price	Higher	Lower
Infrastructure	Charger / 380 V connection	Fuel tank

The biggest advantages show where diesel hurts most: tunnels and enclosed spaces, night work in populated areas, quarries near settlements, and mines with internal green targets. The limits are real — a higher purchase price and charging that needs planning — which is why the math below matters.

Proven in the field

JGM reports electric machines in everyday service around the world: a fleet of 870E loaders at a coal mine adds $827,600 a year in profit over diesel, 3108E trucks work at 5,400 m altitude in copper-mine service, and the 860E passed Singapore's TR25 charging-infrastructure certification with repeat orders to show for it. A chemical plant running 30+ electric loaders and quarries moving granite blocks with fork loaders complete the picture — electric already works triple shifts, not just in brochures.

Napkin math: yearly savings

Prices for North Macedonia, September 2026: diesel 95 MKD/litre (~€1.54) per ERC, electricity €0.20/kWh (~12.3 MKD). Assumptions (the same ones our fleet assessment uses): 2,000 working hours per year (250 days × 8 hours). Figures are illustrative — real ones depend on load factor, idle time and your tariff (€1 ≈ 61.5 MKD).

Example 1: 25-tonne excavator

• Diesel: 20 l/h × 2,000 h = 40,000 l × 95 MKD = **3,800,000 MKD (€61,800) per year** in fuel.
• Electric (JGM 9250EV): ~60 kWh/h × 2,000 h = 120,000 kWh × €0.20 = 1,476,000 MKD (€24,000) per year in electricity.
• Energy saving: 2,324,000 MKD (€37,800) per year, plus less maintenance (no oil, filters, AdBlue — exact figure in the fleet assessment).

Example 2: 22-tonne wheel loader

• Diesel: 14 l/h × 2,000 h = 28,000 l × 95 MKD = **2,660,000 MKD (€43,250) per year**.
• Electric (JGM 870E): ~42 kWh/h × 2,000 h = 84,000 kWh × €0.20 = 1,033,200 MKD (€16,800) per year.
• Saving: 1,626,800 MKD (€26,450) per year on energy, plus less maintenance.

Example 3: 100-tonne mining truck

• Diesel: 45 l/h × 2,000 h = 90,000 l × 95 MKD = **8,550,000 MKD (€139,000) per year**.
• Electric (JGM 3160E): ~150 kWh/h × 2,000 h = 300,000 kWh × €0.20 = 3,690,000 MKD (€60,000) per year.
• Saving: 4,860,000 MKD (€79,000) per year on energy — before counting downhill regeneration, which saves extra on hilly routes, plus less maintenance.

When does it NOT pay off?

Honestly: at low annual utilization (under ~800 hours) the purchase premium is hard to recover, and if you pay dearly for electricity while fueling diesel cheaply, the math shifts. That is what the fleet assessment is for — enter your hours and consumption and we will calculate the exact saving for your machines.

FAQ

How long does the battery last?

JGM uses LFP cells with liquid cooling and IP67 protection, rated for thousands of charge cycles (for example 423 kWh in the 771FT32E, up to 422 kWh in the 870E and up to 846 kWh in the 3160E). Warranty and replacement cost depend on model and use — contact us for your machine.

How long does charging really take?

The 912EV-Pro fully recharges in about 60 minutes on a 120 kW dual-gun DC charger. Most battery machines fully recharge overnight from an industrial socket. JGM stationary DC chargers go from 30 to 960 kW.

What grid connection do I need?

Battery machines need a sufficient industrial connection or a mobile charger (106–1293 kWh, 60–200 kW per gun). Cable (CC) machines like the 9480E-CC need a 380 V substation near the pit and then run continuously with no charging breaks.

Do electric machines work in winter and dusty quarries?

JGM rates its electric loaders for −35 to +45 °C and altitudes under 5,000 m, with IP67 dust/water protection. Expect somewhat shorter runtime in deep cold — charging indoors overnight helps.

What maintenance disappears?

Engine oil, filters and AdBlue disappear. Hydraulics, cylinders and attachments are the same as on diesel, so buckets, breakers and grapples perform identically. High-voltage service is done by trained technicians.

When doesn't electric pay off?

Below ~800 hours per year the purchase premium is hard to recover. If your electricity tariff is high and diesel is cheap, the saving shrinks — run your numbers through the fleet assessment.

Next steps

Browse the electric machines in the catalog — each has a brochure with full technical data — or contact us for a quote and a charging plan for your site. For more on choosing the right size class, read How many tonnes of excavator do you need? and What to decide before buying a new excavator.