JCB commits to Sustainability, introduces the Industry’s first fully Electric Construction Equipment in India, also launches a Natural Gas Powered Genset

by Suman Gupta

Mumbai, India, May , 2022 – India’s leading manufacturer of Earthmoving and Construction equipment, JCB India today introduced the industry’s first fully Electric Excavator, the JCB 19C-1E at Excon, Bengaluru. It also launched a 22 Ton Hydraulic Excavator on the NXT Platform that has been specially designed for Indian applications. Additionally, a 4 Ton Telescopic Hander, an Articulated Boom Lift AJ48 D and two new Mini Excavators for Smart Infrastructure, the 35Z HD and 37C HD were introduced. JCB’s Natural Gas Genset, the G125 NG was also launched at Excon 2021.

Speaking at Excon 2021 being held at Bengaluru, the CEO and Managing Director of JCB India, Deepak Shetty said,

“Innovation and Sustainability have always remained critical to our operations, and we continue to introduce products that significantly limit their impact on the environment. The JCB 19C-1E is the industry’s first fully electric excavator in India and is integral to JCB’s ‘Road to Zero’ initiative, a programme that we have been working on for the past few years. The machine has been tested extensively and has various built-in features that enhance safety and performance. With Zero Emissions and low noise, this new machine is ideal for Infrastructure development in Urban Areas and Indoor working”

JCB 19C-1E is a zero-emission machine and has four lithium-ion batteries that power the machine for a full day on a single charge. With a significant focus on safety and productivity, JCB’s 2GO system safely isolates all controls as a secondary safety system. It’s auto-idle and auto kick-up redistribute power to preserve battery life. The machine has been introduced after rigorous testing and validation.

In addition to the JCB 19C-1E Electric Mini Excavator, JCB also launched two more Mini Excavators, the 35Z HD and the 37C HD. Both machines come with heavy-duty structures and have easy manoeuvrability due to their compact size. The 5 Ton Mini Excavator range which comprises of the 50Z and the 55Z which were also on display. These machines are designed for higher adaptability to work in confined areas, with high-strength heavy-duty booms and excellent operator comfort features like full suspension seat, smooth joystick operations and electronic engine speed control with mode selection.

With sustainability being a key attribute at JCB, the company also launched its first Natural Gas Genset, the G125 NG – 125KVA Genset powered by Natural Gas. Along with the Genset having best in class aesthetics, it is also designed to work in extreme environments. This Natural Gas Genset has a compact size and reduces CO₂ emissions significantly. The carbon footprint is lesser by up to 6 tonnes per annum.

He further added, “Infrastructure development and Commercial activities today operate round the clock, due to which the requirement of Generators is also expected to remain strong. We have once again taken the bold step of launching a Natural Gas-powered Genset that significantly reduces emissions. This range will be manufactured in India and in addition to catering to the domestic market, will also be exported around the world”

While the G125 NG, Natural Gas Genset was launched, the company also displayed the G100QI and the G200QI Gensets. Both these Gensets have single-window product support and come with a proven engine and are in the 100kVA and 200kVA class respectively.

JCB India also launched the 4 Ton Telescopic Handler, the 540-70. With a maximum lift height of 7m, and a maximum lift capacity of up to 4 Tons it has a Q-fit mechanism for a quick change of attachments that make the machine multipurpose. With an airconditioned, 360° high-visibility global design cabin and ROPS & FOPS, this new machine is well suited for all Material Handling requirements of customers.

In addition, JCB India also launched the first product in its Boom range with a diesel-powered Articulative Boom Lift, the AJ48D. The machine is used to work at heights in a safe and productive manner. It has a maximum working height of 16.7m and a maximum outreach of 8.3m. Powered by a 36kW turbo-charged diesel engine, the machine has four-wheel drive, oscillating axles and is controlled with a fully integrated electronic load management system. It has the industry’s leading safety standards with features such as an anti-crush protection system, an auxiliary handrail and user-friendly controls with colour LCD display.

Deepak Shetty added, “JCB machines have been supporting the building of Infrastructure in India for over four decades. These machines are used to build roads in urban and rural India, Schools, Hospitals and Airports among many other applications. An embodiment of the vison of an Atmanirbhar Bharat, our Made in India products are at par with the rest of the world and are used in over 110 countries. With operating costs becoming more critical than ever, our products are designed to consume lesser fuel and have lower maintenance costs, thereby improving the profitability for our customers. We have also integrated digital technology such as Telematics and Parts App into our products and services. Additionally, our network of over 60 dealers, 6,500⁺ dealer service engineers and almost 700 outlets mean that our customers are never far away from professional product support”

JCB India has the largest range of Backhoe Loaders in the industry which was on display at Excon. The range included the JCB 2DX a machine that is designed to work in compact areas and utility applications, the 3DX which is 12% lower in fuel consumption and 22% lower in maintenance costs. The machine has an eco-mode for lower fuel consumption and a standard mode for higher productivity. The 3DX plus, 3DX Xtra, 3DX super and the larger 4DX were also on display with several attachments to showcase the versatility of JCB Backhoe Loaders.

The company has invested significantly in its Tracked Excavator range. It offers 10 different models in the 8T to 38T operating weight, all of which are designed for the Indian market focusing on reliability and durability. Powered by ‘Intellicontrol’, the NXT series in the 14 Ton to 22 Ton range stands for fuel efficiency, productivity and ease of use. The range comes with different power modes depending on the type of task. The Quarry master variants on the other hand are available in the 14.5T, 21.5T, 22T and 38T models with heavy-duty tracks and robust structures.

Displayed at the stand was the JCB 315LC HD high-performance machine with a powerful 221HP engine and heavy-duty Deep section boom and arm with cast pivots for durability. Also on display was the JCB 385LC QM which comes with a 284HP engine and new heavy-duty Boom & Arm, offering excellent performance in Block handling for Marble and Granite applications. JCB 385LC also offers the Xtra variant for bulk excavation.

The company also introduced the NXT 225LC M tracked excavator with a simple mechanical fuel injection system. It comes fitted with a power boost feature, a heavy-duty bucket and eco-hydraulics along with ‘Intellicontrol’ and has 10 different power modes giving high fuel efficiency.

JCB also introduced three Wheeled Loading Shovels, the first being the 433-4 which comes with a JCB ecoMax 444 engine, ZF axles & transmission. It has an improved output of up to 8% and an enhanced fuel efficiency of up to 10%, this new machine is also lower on maintenance and comes with a 15% bigger cabin.

The larger 437-4 is fitted with a JCB 448 eco max engine and ZF transmission. The new model is up to 10% more fuel-efficient as compared to the outgoing model and has a bigger Cabin for Operator comfort with lower maintenance costs.

And the 455-4 has a Cummins engine and ZF axles & transmission. With an increased output of up to 5% in Power mode and a fuel efficiency improvement of up to 10%, this machine is designed to perform in the most arduous of applications.

JCB also introduced the new VM 117 Soil compactor which is powered by a 55 kW JCB ecoMax 444 engine without the need for engine after-treatment. The machine is up to 10% more fuel-efficient as compared to the previous model. It has high productivity, reliability and operator comfort that make it a preferred choice for Compaction needs.

With more Urban Infrastructure being created and for applications such as Solid Waste Management and Material handling JCB also had the JCB 155 Skid Steer on display. The machine has a Unique Monoboom design with a Side door for safe entry and exit. It has an enhanced 270⁰ visibility and has the largest cabin by volume.

Excon is South Asia’s Largest Exhibition for Construction Equipment. The JCB Pavilion, the largest at the exhibition, also has its advanced Telematics technology called JCB Livelink to be experienced. The JCB range of machines come with this revolutionary technology that gives real-time updates on the service operations and the security of the machine. These connected machines give critical information on their productivity and operations. JCB Livelink immensely helps in fleet management gives the opportunity for continuous monitoring of the health of the machines and maximising the equipment uptime.