Turkish firm to roll out electric excavator in 2022

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

Turkish construction machinery producer Hidromek announced on Aug. 28 that it would have its electric wheeled excavator ready for buyers within one to one and a half years.

The seven-ton Hicon 7W is the first in the world to run entirely on electricity and have rubber tires, Mustafa Bozkurt, Hidromek's chairman, told Anadolu Agency.

The Hicon 7W was unveiled by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier this month.

The vehicle can be used for eight hours after one and a half hours of fast-charging, Bozkurt said.

He also noted that some 85-90% of its parts would be produced via indigenous sources, including its batteries.

The production plant's building is planned for completion at the end of 2021 and the excavator will be offered for purchase in the first quarter of 2022.

Bozkurt stressed that the Hicon 7W attracted much attention from Turkey and the world, with Hidromek winning the 2020 German Design Award and 2020 IF Product Design Award for the vehicle.

Hidromek, which makes some $150 million of exports annually, is active in 100 countries on six continents.

The firm has five factories in Turkey and previously purchased the Japanese Mitsubishi's grader department in Thailand.