Hitachi and Dimaag to Introduce 1.7-Ton Electric Excavator
Dimaag's swappable battery modules, thermal management system, inverters, motors, power electronics and software will be added...
machineryasia 
Hitachi has partnered with Dimaag, a Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of off-road EV solutions, to jointly introduce a 1.7-ton electric excavator.
The electric excavator is expected to be completed in December, with the official unveiling set to take place at Bauma 2025. Hitachi aims to commercially launch the product in Europe by 2027. A spokesperson for Hitachi confirmed that the excavator would eventually be released in North America, but no dates have been set yet. Hitachi currently offers its 5.8-ton ZX55U-6EB and 9.6-ton ZX85-6EB electric excavators in the European market.
Dimaag’s Electric No Compromise Off-Road Ecosystem – or “ENCORE” - will be integrated into Hitachi’s 1.7-ton excavator. The ENCORE system is composed of Dimaag’s swappable battery modules, thermal management system, inverters, motors, power electronics and software for off-road electric equipment, as well as the charging stations. Hitachi will provide technical information on the base machine and specification requirements for the electrification.
Ian Wright, vice president of engineering at Dimaag, said, "Dimaag’s ENCORE technology has been deployed across multiple prototype off-road vehicles to validate our design intent of no compromise on safety, all-day performance, and affordability. We are honored to partner with Hitachi Construction Machinery to be a pioneer and enable economies of scale for the ENCORE tech stack. This partnership marks a significant step towards achieving electrification of agricultural and construction machinery, with no compromises."
Kazunori Nakamura, vice president and executive officer at Hitachi, added, “To realize zero emissions, it is important to provide not only our products but also solutions combined with related products such as energy storage systems. For this purpose, collaboration with various partners is the key to success. Since the battery module for this collaboration from Dimaag is versatile and applicable to various electric products, further acceleration of the electrification at construction sites can be expected. We are excited to partner with an innovative company like Dimaag and would like to expand our electrified vehicle lineup.
Hitachi opened its Zero Emissions EV Lab, a collaborative research facility focused on achieving zero emissions at work sites, in Ichikawa, Japan, in May 2024. The lab includes a demo area for Hitachi-manufactured 2-ton, 5-ton, 8-ton, and 13-ton battery-powered excavators and other related construction equipment.
