Electric cherry pickers. Here’s everything you need to know.

Electric Cherry Pickers mounted on vehicles are evolving. Here’s everything you need to make the right choice when purchasing.

Although electric vehicles are more expensive to buy, they have significantly lower running costs when compared to petrol or diesel equivalents.

We have calculated that depending on when and how an electric vehicle is charged it will cost two to four pence per mile. This compares to 10 to 14 pence per mile for an equivalent petrol or diesel vehicle. There are a number of electric cherry pickers on the market. These are fully powered by batteries with no diesel, petrol or other fuel sources. The KL26 mounted on a Renault Master ZE is a popular electric mounted cherry picker for those companies that do not travel too many miles in a day. Specifically designed for city work, the KL26 ZE has a range of 70 miles and can work up to 18 boom cycles without needing a recharge. The vehicle and boom can be charged during a lunch break to add to the life of the unit in one day.

This saving is a positive but when we talk about Electric Cherry Pickers, we need to think about the time a diesel engine is idle. When a diesel engine MEWP is being used for work at height, the engine is ticking over. This is not what the vehicle was made for, it wants to be driven to stay healthy.

Idling is also bad for the environment. These fumes contain a number of harmful gasses including carbon dioxide, as well as a range of other harmful gasses including nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons which are linked to asthma and other lung diseases. Although many electric vehicles do not yet have a long range, there are other options to ensure you are being environmentally conscious. The Klubb Group have developed an electric boom fitted to a diesel van mount. This allows the team to drive as far as they need to, shut off the engine and work with the boom using a battery. This eliminates idling all together when working at height. This design is currently being used by the top Telecoms and Rental companies in the UK and the rest of Europe.  The most popular options in the range are the KL32. This can be mounted on afully type approved 3.5t Renault Master van or a cutaway 4.5t Master. The Renault Master and light boom allow for a great payload. This gives the option of a workshop built into the back of the van. A one man team can use this vehicle everyday as a cherry picker and as a storage solution for tools and equipment.

The electric cherry picker options can be daunting. Contact us to discuss your options.