Falco Construction Adds 15 Takeuchi Electric Mini Excavators After Two-Year Trial

Is the construction industry ready for battery powered machinery like front end loaders, backhoes, and excavators? Falco Construction in the UK recently completed a two year trial of two TB20e electric excavators manufactured by Takeuchi.

That trial convinced Falco those machines were fully capable of of meeting its needs. As a result, it has added 15 more battery powered machines to its fleet. They will be used primarily for digging trenches for utility ground works and underground cable work in and around London, according to DM News.

In an email to CleanTechica, UK Power Networks spokesperson Barney Riley said the machines can reach an 80 percent state of charge in just two hours and operate for up to three days on a single charge. That allows them to serve as a “practical, low-emission solution for utility excavation works,” he said.

Kevin Parcell, managing director of Falco Construction said, “This new consignment of e-diggers exemplifies our overall commitment to decarbonize Falco’s operations and make good on our target to achieve net zero by 2035. Our operators quickly built confidence in using electric excavators. With the lack of emissions and noise, combined with commensurate performance, they wouldn’t now go back to diesel.”

Left unsaid was that the machine operators no longer have to breathe in the pollutants created by diesel engines every day while on the job. Since the excavators are much quieter, they cause less disruption to the business and residential neighborhoods where they operate.

UK Power Networks director of network operations, Patrick Clarke said, “The success of our trial shows that cutting emissions doesn’t mean compromising performance. Working with Falco, we’ve proven electric excavators can be a practical and effective solution. Expanding the fleet is a significant step forward, helping us reduce emissions, lower noise, and improve the experience for local communities while continuing to deliver a reliable electricity supply. This is a great example of innovation becoming business as usual.”

Ideal For Urban Construction

The results of the trial highlight the growing role of electric construction equipment in urban infrastructure projects. While diesel remains widely used across the construction sector, electric machinery can offer clear operational benefits where noise, emissions, and air quality present particular challenges.

Utility companies and their contractors face growing pressure to reduce the environmental impact of infrastructure work. At the same time, they must maintain productivity and ensure reliable delivery of essential services.

The Falco and UK Power Networks project suggests electric excavators can address both requirements. The equipment delivers the performance needed for excavation work while reducing local emissions and noise.

From Trials To Acceptance

FleetPoint, a UK based trade journal, celebrated the addition of the electric excavators to the Falco Construction fleet. It said it provides a practical example of how construction firms can move beyond small scale electric equipment trials and assess the technology across a wider range of real world utility projects.

“For fleet and construction managers, the project demonstrates the potential benefits of selecting electric machinery for specific applications. Excavation work in urban areas could be particularly well suited to electrification because quieter, cleaner equipment can reduce disruption for local communities,” it wrote.

“As charging infrastructure improves and electric construction machinery becomes more capable, such projects could become increasingly common across UK infrastructure and construction fleets. The expansion of Falco’s electric excavator fleet therefore represents more than a replacement for diesel machinery. It provides a further example of low-emission equipment moving from demonstration projects into everyday commercial operations.”