One EV, a thousand functions
- Industrial autos, that are required in 1000’s of various varieties, are sometimes constructed below a mannequin by which OEMs present a primary chassis, and upfitters add the specialised our bodies and tools. This mannequin has existed for a few years within the on-road market, however Dannar is now bringing it to the world of off-road tools.
- Electrical off-road tools gives a protracted checklist of benefits over legacy diesel tools: decrease fueling and upkeep prices; lack of idling; quiet, vibration-free operation; and fewer put on and tear on hydraulic parts.
- Dannar’s autos are suitable with 1000’s of attachments made by trusted manufacturers for diesel tools. These will be switched out rapidly and simply, so the identical car can serve a couple of utility.
- Dannar’s autos can even function Cell Energy Stations, offering charging for different EVs within the subject.
Q&A with CEO Gary Dannar
Totally different consumers want (or need) completely different autos—that’s why most client automakers provide a variety of a dozen or so fashions, from sensible household automobiles to modern sports activities automobiles to hulking pickup vans. However within the industrial car sphere, this wouldn’t be adequate—completely different markets demand not dozens of various car sorts, however 1000’s. A few of these autos, usually referred to as vocational vans, are designed for extremely specialised functions (consider a cement mixer, a avenue cleaner or an airport de-icing truck), and it wouldn’t be economically environment friendly for an OEM to supply sufficient devoted fashions to handle all of them. As an alternative, they construct generic chassis/cab combos, and depart it to different firms (referred to as upfitters) to construct specialised our bodies, a few of them custom-designed for particular prospects.
In relation to on-road industrial autos, this has been the mannequin for many years. Nonetheless, within the off-road market, OEMs have a tendency to supply an array of purpose-built autos (or tools—the excellence between the 2 is usually fluid). A few of these will be fitted with a wide selection of interchangeable attachments (e.g. a tractor can energy a mower, a loader, a tiller, and many others.) however others are just about constructed to do one set of jobs (e.g. a loader, a digger or a backhoe).
Electrification gives a chance to convey a a lot larger diploma of customization to the off-road world, and Dannar, Inc. was based to supply a modular EV platform that may work with many of the attachments that exist already for diesel tools. Now, fleet consumers can profit not solely from the financial savings on gasoline and upkeep that EVs provide, but in addition from the power to carry out extra duties with the identical powertrain platform—maybe utilizing one car to do a wide range of jobs that will beforehand have required two or extra separate items of kit.
Charged spoke with founder and CEO Gary Dannar.
Charged: How a few temporary historical past of the corporate and your private background?
Gary Dannar: I began the enterprise 13 years in the past. My background personally has been 35 years in off-road trade tools for world producers. It turned clear across the flip of the century that electrification was changing into extra related for industrial off-road autos, and we acknowledged {that a} multipurpose platform was actually what the trade needed. Multipurpose year-round use could be very advantageous to industrial fleets—agriculture, building, navy, emergency response and extra. So, we began with an idea, went via 4 generations, and at present we’ve got good relationships with suppliers and prospects, a backlog of Cell Energy Station (MPS) orders and a number of other machines out within the subject.
“We’ve made the multipurpose platform in such a means that we are able to use all these attachments which are manufactured by nice firms, that permit fleet house owners to make use of that machine year-round.”
Charged: Multipurpose means constructing several types of autos on the identical platform?
Gary Dannar: Precisely. The platform we began with was an off-road platform that had been within the trade for many years—a 20,000-pound navy forklift platform utilizing a diesel engine—so we had lots of confidence in that body and that undercarriage, which featured Dana 212 axles, restricted slip, four-wheel drive and four-wheel steer. However we needed a platform that might obtain winter tools similar to snow blowers and plows, but in addition summer time tools like mowers, trenchers and asphalt planers. We’ve made the multipurpose platform in such a means that we are able to use all these attachments which are manufactured by nice firms, that permit fleet house owners to make use of that machine year-round.
Charged: So, a fleet may use that platform for a number of completely different functions, altering the attachments as an alternative of getting to purchase a number of items of kit?
Gary Dannar: That’s precisely proper. What we offer is mainly three variations on the identical body, and the distinction has to do with the batteries. We’re at present utilizing the BMW i3 battery pack, a high-volume off-the-shelf battery. The 250 kWh and 375 kWh variations of the MPS will be configured with a cab and a number of other attachments like a loader, scissor raise, forklift and extra, whereas additionally that includes a sturdy charging functionality. The final model has as a lot power on board as potential—500 kWh—and we provide 480-volt 3-phase as an possibility for DC quick chargers. Maybe a buyer desires 4 DC quick chargers on board—we are able to do this. This model is all about power supply, with the ability to obtain costs from anyplace, and export that power in a number of codecs. All three can cost different autos, however the 500 kWh MPS can cost giant tools similar to excavators and loaders.
Additionally, all three variations will be managed with a wi-fi distant management from as much as one mile away. It’s an encrypted, one-mile, line-of-sight management. We’ve semi-autonomous options in improvement with some navy features now.
Charged: We’ve spoken with firms which are doing one thing related with on-road autos. Ree Automotive makes a skateboard platform that’s designed for purchasers and upfitters to place our bodies on high of. I assume they’re taking an idea that has at all times existed within the gasoline world and adapting it to the EV world. Is your product like an off-road model of that, or are there another variations?
Gary Dannar: Nicely, the theme is quite common. As you talked about, the chassis cab thought’s been round for a protracted, very long time. It has a body and presumably a cab on the entrance, together with an engine and transmission. Now you possibly can put an ambulance physique on there, you possibly can put a tank on there, you are able to do no matter you need with it.
That has by no means occurred within the off-road trade. We’re actually the primary one to herald a cell multipurpose platform that’s completed to the purpose that you should utilize it as is to obtain branded attachments—a Viking snow blower, a Bradco trencher, a Caterpillar backhoe, a John Deere trencher—and it’s designed so the fleet supervisor can change that weekly or month-to-month or seasonally as the necessity modifications.
After World Battle II, a few brothers, Louis and Cyril Keller of Minnesota, invented a little bit four-wheel skid steer that might match inside rooster coops and be used to scrub them out. This advanced into what’s now referred to as a Bobcat. Folks quickly realized that you could possibly put attachments on that bucket plate, and during the last 30-plus years, individuals began recognizing that work attachments may fasten onto the loader arms.
By all means, there’s lots of single-purpose tools that’s been designed to do fantastic work at only one factor, or only a few issues—for instance a tractor/loader/backhoe. That’s nice, however there’s extra than simply that—there’s numerous attachments. We made our platform so it might probably obtain all these skid steer attachments, and it might probably additionally obtain platform attachments like scissor lifts and dump beds and cranes. There are over 250 attachments alone from only one producer, so the variety of use circumstances is limitless.
Charged: These are current attachments which are made to go on diesel-powered autos?
Gary Dannar: That’s proper. Now a few of them are hydraulically powered, and we’ve got a hydraulic system on the Cell Energy Station now. The hydraulic system is run from an electrical motor, so you find yourself with the very best of each worlds. You’ve got a high-torque electrical motor with variable pace that is ready to run a hydraulic system extraordinarily effectively and with lots of management. Which means lots of these hydraulic attachments and instruments really work higher.
Charged: It’s essential to have needed to cooperate fairly intently with the businesses that make these attachments with a view to be sure that all the things was going to suit onto your platform with a minimal of labor.
Gary Dannar: Completely. The cooperation, although, is extra engineering groups working collectively to be sure that issues are suitable so the tip consumer won’t have issues. Electrical energy could be very controllable.
It hasn’t been troublesome to work with giant firms and ensure their attachments will match on a zero-emission car. The names are acquainted: Caterpillar, Case, John Deere, JCB, Komatsu, and European manufacturers. After 30-plus years, most attachments are fairly common. There are nonetheless some proprietary connections, or handshakes if you’ll, however most individuals making these attachments would reasonably use a common, well-adopted kind of attachment mechanism so it might probably work on any model of tractor. That’s an idea borrowed from agriculture—take into consideration all of the attachments that go on a three-point hitch.
Charged: Somebody advised me that the hydraulic methods on this stuff are one of many most important issues that go unsuitable, and are onerous to keep up.
Gary Dannar: Nicely, the hydraulic producers have been doing diesel-electric for a very long time, in addition to diesel-hydraulic, after which electric-hydraulic. However an inner combustion engine, with a view to be at optimum torque and horsepower, must spin at 2,000 or 2,200 RPM. Many instances, that RPM is correlated with a mechanical PTO shaft popping out the again and turning at 1,000 RPM, however the hydraulic pump at all times has to spin at 2,000 RPM, and there’s no clutch in between. So, hydraulics have been designed for many years in a means that whenever you don’t need to pump oil, the pump itself goes to impartial but it surely’s nonetheless spinning at 2,000 RPM. There are different methods which are designed to ship the oil again to a tank if it’s not wanted to run a cylinder or motor, however the pump continues to be working at 2,000 RPM. That leads to lots of misplaced power and added put on and tear on the hydraulic pump, as a result of so long as the engine is working, the hydraulic pump is working.
With an electrical motor, if nothing is transferring. The battery’s not giving up any power. And should you say, “I would like just a bit bit to occur for simply the subsequent 30 seconds,” that’s all that occurs. A couple of electrons depart the battery, go to the motor, it solely works for a number of seconds and it’s over. So having the chance to be that environment friendly with power, that it solely strikes when there’s a requirement, improves the sturdiness and lifecycle of the hydraulic system.
Charged: I’ve heard that cited as a bonus of electrical tools—not like diesel tools, which is idling on a regular basis, the electrical tools solely must run when it’s working, so the hours of operation are lower than one may assume. You’re saying that there’s an extra benefit in that you just’re additionally saving put on and tear on the hydraulic parts.
Gary Dannar: Precisely. It was one of many first issues that began displaying up when the trade began going electrical. The mining trade and protection trade discovered that some great benefits of not idling confirmed up nearly instantly.
“Having the chance to be that environment friendly with power, that it solely strikes when there’s a requirement, improves the sturdiness and lifecycle of the hydraulic system.”
The final level I’d make is that a few of these electrical machines in building, agriculture, mining and so forth are good sufficient to recapture power, similar to cars. While you hit the brakes, it’s placing electrical energy again within the battery—but it surely goes a step additional. When you may have an excavator and you’re utilizing that energy to dig and pull and swing that machine over a heavy load in a single route, whenever you decelerate, you possibly can recapture power from that exercise.
You can begin regenerating on a specific motion. That means if I’ve an electrical forklift and lift 20,000 kilos to set it on the third story, the entire time it’s coming down, it’s placing electrical energy again within the battery. Or the forklift lifts as much as the third story and grabs the 20,000 kilos to convey it down, the entire time it’s coming down it’s placing power again into the battery. So, there’s a chance in building tools to truly recapture power again into the battery. You possibly can’t do this with inner combustion engines.
Charged: Inform me about a few of the completely different markets to your tools.
Gary Dannar: It’s all markets. Working equipment has had over 100 years to be specialised and add productiveness to all industries. This contains cemeteries, railroads, amusement parks, the movie trade. You possibly can’t identify any trade that isn’t utilizing machines. Right this moment, they’re utilizing conventional types of energy, and we acknowledged way back that electrical energy was the very best work energy.
We all know that issues work higher with electrical energy. We electrified the toothbrush, for heaven’s sake! All of these industries are going electrical. They make the primary transfer due to low price and low upkeep, however they quickly discover that clear power shouldn’t be solely safer, but it surely’s quiet, and quiet can be safer. You possibly can really hear somebody subsequent to this machine working. The utility trade figured that out in a short time with bucket vans and placing an individual 20 ft up within the air. When that turns into electrical, they will really speak to at least one one other. Communication utilizing issues like hand alerts doesn’t go away, however you possibly can really hear individuals round you as you’re working.
Charged: What are you able to inform us about some current prospects and companions that you just’re working with?
Gary Dannar: We’ve really offered into 9 industries at this level, however the ones which are on the high are building, agriculture, cities, counties, states, anybody that’s sustaining giant industrial fleets for infrastructure. The emergency response and protection industries have been targeted on electrical for a very long time.
As you’ll guess, for emergency response, often there’s an influence element concerned. The lack of energy, like what was skilled just lately in Florida, is a superb instance. These work machines can reply to regardless of the emergency is, like a collapsed constructing or a downed energy line. It may convey the proper instrument to do the work, but it surely can also energy communications, lights, water pumps, and cost different autos. You want a gasoline truck on a building web site any time equipment exhibits up. We’re the “electrical gasoline truck.”
Charged: Do you construct any parts your self, or do you principally purchase off-the-shelf parts?
Gary Dannar: From the very starting, we’ve targeted on shopping for high-volume parts which are confirmed within the off-road trade. Excessive quantity additionally means nice product help and components availability. There’s not an actual value penalty for going electrical as a result of we’re utilizing high-volume components all through the method. We assemble your complete MPS in our facility and have some proprietary manufacturing, however actually what we’ve completed is create software program to make the {hardware} carry out higher than ever earlier than. The MPS is mainly a invoice of supplies engineered round what we are able to supply at excessive quantity, however we use our proprietary software program to make all the assorted parts work collectively.
We decided early on that we might at all times be open to no matter the very best parts had been for our finish customers, so we’re battery-agnostic. We do use BMW batteries, however we will even be utilizing different batteries, and as a US producer, we need to see a really excessive share of home content material. It’s thrilling to see American manufacturing responding to this electrification motion. There are increasingly more nice American firms now which are manufacturing inverters, chargers, and each high- and low-voltage parts. We’re continually altering and adapting to these. We’re seeing that an underground mine might need a distinct desire for batteries and parts, nevertheless, agriculture might need a distinct value level, so we need to be very versatile.
“We’re open to no matter the very best parts had been for our finish customers, so we’re battery-agnostic. It’s thrilling to see increasingly more nice American firms manufacturing parts. We’re continually altering and adapting to these.”
Charged: Are there any current prospects that you may identify at this level?
Gary Dannar: Most of our prospects are authorities fleets, and sadly, we’re not ready to debate our particular prospects. I can say that each one branches of the protection neighborhood have both examined an MPS, are at present utilizing one, or have a number of models on order. The identical with cities and counties—we’ve got machines at metropolis, county and state degree, along with utility firms.
Charged: Do you may have any machines in Florida proper now?
Gary Dannar: The Metropolis of Orlando is a buyer of ours, and we’ve got their MPS in our constructing as a result of we’re upgrading that machine with some new batteries. Our machine could be very modular, and the entire thought was that it might probably at all times be upfitted, upgraded and altered to have the newest parts. That’s precisely what we’re doing with the Metropolis of Orlando’s machine.
Charged: Right here within the Tampa Bay area, we’re at present dwelling in a catastrophe space. My neighborhood bought an eight-foot storm surge and the entire peninsula was coated with 4 ft of sand. The very first thing they needed to do was usher in a great deal of diesel gasoline. A couple of days after the storm, I noticed an enormous truck loaded with tanks of diesel, and I stated, “Aha! Which means they’re on the point of begin digging out this sand.” Since then, the entire neighborhood has been crammed with the roar and stink of engines. I for one would like to see some electrical machines doing the work.
Gary Dannar: We even have individuals we work with in Florida, and I do know you’re dwelling via a tragedy. Too many instances, it’s within the tragedy that it’s most noticeable that there’s a void in having the proper tools in the proper place on the proper time. That’s emergency response.
The protection neighborhood has been scuffling with this for a very long time. Adversaries would know one thing was coming when the diesel gasoline began displaying up. That’s not an excellent tactical solution to run an invasion. Earlier than the protection neighborhood can begin getting troops and tools mobilized, they want to ensure they’ve gasoline in place. The logistics of getting the power to the place it’s wanted and rapidly has at all times been a problem. Most individuals don’t know that we went to the primary Gulf Battle with electrical autos.
Containers of batteries are displaying up all over, so as an alternative of the diesel tanks, a container of electrical energy will probably be delivered, and now you possibly can have electrical energy instantly accessible to run electrical tools and deal with on a regular basis energy wants.
For these of us who’re on the entrance fringe of this, there are already excavators and loaders engaged on job websites. The query to fleet managers is: Would you like the diesel mannequin or would you like the electrical mannequin?
Florida emergency responders will work out how they need to begin buying the proper tools for the long run. If they’ve a selection of getting an electrical excavator on that seashore in entrance of your own home or a diesel, I believe they’re going to decide on the electrical excavator. And I believe you’re going to see electrical tools getting used for search and rescue missions, such because the condominium collapse in Florida. What would’ve been extra advantageous for that web site the place canines and rescuers had been looking out?
The reply is quiet, clear electrical tools that may take away rubble and particles with little noise and vibration. I believe it’s going to point out up in these catastrophe emergency response areas in a short time, similar to it’s already proven up for us in protection functions. And these are simply two industries responding to the benefit of all-electric off-road tools and power provide methods.
