With the new Böcker AK 48e truck crane, electric operation on the construction site is now a reality—powerful, quiet, and with no direct exhaust emissions. The crane’s ability to perform continuous operation on battery power for an entire workday represents a significant advancement, especially for urban construction sites.
During the construction of a large-scale logistics warehouse with three additional office floors, the AK 48e truck crane impressively demonstrated the advantages and performance capabilities of electric crane technology. It handled key transport tasks onto the 21-meter-high flat roof of the four-story building. First, the AK 48e lifted pallets weighing up to 400 kg, each containing large skylights, onto the warehouse roof. These had to be placed as far out onto the roof surface as possible to minimize the logistical workflow at height. The crane also significantly simplified the removal of materials from the roof. Using the tower crane function, for example, empty pallets, metal buckets, and a concrete mixer were quickly removed from the roof.
The AK 48e used on the construction site is mounted on a MAN chassis; variants on Mercedes, Volvo, or Scania chassis are also available. The carrier is conventionally powered by an internal combustion engine to ensure reliable travel to the construction site, while crane operations on site are performed purely electrically and, thanks to a high battery capacity, flexibly without the need for a power connection. With this design, the AK 48e combines the advantages of electric operation with the mobility of proven technology.
Equipped with a newly developed, highly efficient drive system, an electric winch, and a 30 kWh battery, the electric crane is designed to operate for an entire workday without an external power connection. Its low energy consumption allows for up to 150 lifting operations or more than eight hours of average operating time in battery mode. In addition, the crane recovers energy when lowering loads to further increase efficiency and runtime. Thanks to fast charging times, the battery can then be recharged from 20% to 80% in just one hour and 35 minutes. The crane can be charged flexibly using a 230 V household outlet, a 400 V power supply, or—in the future—even a wallbox.
The AK 48e also sets new standards in terms of performance. It boasts high rope speeds of up to 60 m/min, payloads of up to 3 t (opt. 6 t), and boom lengths of up to 49 m (opt. 52 m) for operations even on industrial buildings and large high-rises. At the logistics warehouse, the AK 48e—with its long range—not only helped optimize construction site logistics but also sent a clear signal of the shift toward future-oriented solutions.
More information on the Böcker AK 48e truck crane here
