Over-the-Road Charging
Electric Work Vehicle Over-the-Road Charging
Tired of having to cut a job short to get your equipment back to charge? Annoyed at the cost of extra batteries to ensure your equipment can still run if the primary batteries run out? Wish you could charge your battery packs on the road between jobsites?
If these are concerns you have with heavy electric work equipment, Cross Company’s Mobile Systems Integration group can help.
We can work with your operation to develop an over-the-road charging (OTRC) solution to charge your batteries while your machine is in transit to the next job site. This is a practical and efficient way of extending duty cycles and increasing productivity while minimizing the inefficiency of vehicle charging.
Benefits of OTRC With Cross
If you’re regularly towing electric work vehicles from jobsite to jobsite, you know that the go-to solution to maximizing battery life has been “more.” More batteries, more battery efficiency, more stops. But batteries are expensive, require downtime to swap out, and take up valuable space. What if the towing itself was charging your equipment?
Reduced Downtime
Needing to swap out batteries or end a day early due to low charge can lead to a significant loss of productivity. But if your equipment was charging en route to the jobsite and could be recharged on the way to the next site, overall downtime is significantly reduced
Increased Productivity
By charging your machine while towing it, its duty cycle can be effectively extended, allowing more complete jobs per day. OTRC could allow your daily schedule to go from four cycles a day to five, improving productivity and profit margins for your projects
Reduced Battery Costs
By incorporating over-the-road charging for heavy industrial equipment, you remove the need to buy, charge, and stock additional batteries. This allows for simplified operations while also reducing costs upfront associated with buying more batteries
Custom Charging Set-Up
At Cross Company, we take your current transportation set-up and machine design into account when designing and engineering your OTRC solution. This allows you to implement charging solutions like this without significant disruption to operations
Simplified Workflows
When we’re designing and implementing over-the-road charging solutions for work equipment, we only need one additional connection point, so starting the tow truck automatically starts the charging process, eliminating the need for complex charging station routes
Engineering Expertise
When you partner with Cross Company’s Mobile Solutions group, you’re getting more than an electric equipment charging set-up. We often act as an extension of your own engineering team, working with you to find the most efficient (and most profitable) solutions
How Over-the-Road Charging Works
Check out our explanation of how over-the-road charging (OTRC) works and how it can be implemented in your operation.
Implementing Smart Charging Solutions
The over-the-road-charging systems implemented by Cross are also smart systems. They are able to adapt to any vehicle and safely draw power without affecting the electronics of the vehicle. The smart system draws the amount of power necessary without dropping the towing vehicle’s voltage below sustainable normal operating levels. This means that it is effectively plug-and-play, with the operator only having to plug the machine into the truck and start it.
But the real smarts are in the software Cross can provide with this system. This is what makes it more than just a Calex converter, increasing current when power is available and backing off if the truck needs more power, and even shutting off if there is a critical load on the truck. This reduces the risk of anything significantly draining battery charge.
Installation-wise, the truck upgrade is field installable, meaning if you order a Cross-designed machine with the OTRC option, all your towing vehicle needs is fusing and cabling that adheres to upfitting specs. Cross can even retrofit existing machines with an OTRC system.
Components For Every Part of Your Electrification Project
Cross Mobile Systems Integration works with off-highway OEMs to improve their machine design and performance. Whether it’s an electrification project from the ground up, electronic control systems integration, or an overhaul from ICE to electrified, Cross’s team of engineers works as an extension of our customer’s engineering team. We take the time to understand the unique requirements of each piece of mobile equipment and then design, prototype, and build an optimized system for the machine.
Power Distrubition Unit (PDU)
Power delivery component for off-highway electric vehicles that manages the distribution of power from the energy source, such as a battery or fuel cell, to various critical subsystem loads such as traction inverters and on-board charging devices.
AC Motors
Converts electrical energy into mechanical power, driving the machine with efficient, high torque, AC permanent magnet motors, suited for demanding applications. It enables smooth operation, reducing wear and tear while optimizing energy use in mobile equipment.
Inverters
Regulates the conversion of DC power from the battery into AC power for the motor, ensuring smooth acceleration and precise control. Advanced inverters improve energy efficiency while supporting regenerative braking, feeding power back into the battery system.
Low Voltage DC/DC Converters
Converts high-voltage battery power to low-voltage energy for auxiliary components, maintaining efficient power distribution. This ensures stable operation for critical low-voltage systems, such as sensors, control modules, and safety features, without compromising overall power availability.
Low Voltage Bus
Distributes low-voltage power to various electrical components, ensuring stable and reliable operation across the entire system. It minimizes electrical losses and supports easy integration of additional devices, enhancing overall machine efficiency.
Machine Controller
Acts as the brain of the system, coordinating components to optimize machine operation, efficiency, and safety. It integrates sensors and communication protocols, providing real-time diagnostics and data logging for performance tracking.
Onboard Chargers
Charges the battery system using external power sources, enabling convenient recharging without removing the battery. Onboard chargers ensure fast, efficient charging, supporting various voltage levels for flexibility in different environments.
ePTO
Cross Company's Electric Power Take-Off (ePTO) solutions provide reliable and efficient electric power for mobile equipment, reducing reliance on traditional engine-driven PTOs. Ideal for applications requiring auxiliary power without engine idling, ePTO systems improve fuel efficiency, decrease emissions, and lower operating costs. without compromising overall performance.
Batteries and Battery Management Systems
Stores electrical energy to power the machine, offering extended runtime and performance tailored to specific application needs. Modern battery systems are built with safety, thermal management, and scalability in mind, providing reliability in rugged environments.
Motor Driven Gearbox
Cross Company's motor-driven gearboxes offer precise and efficient power transmission for mobile and industrial applications. These gearboxes are designed to work seamlessly with electric motors, providing optimized torque and speed control for demanding tasks.
Ready To Electrify?
Our experts can work with your team to develop a complete mobile electrification solution to ensure that you have the right equipment, working together, to improve your machine performance and productivity.
Check Out Our Mobile Systems Electrification Resources
Take a look at some of our most popular resources about mobile machine electrification and much more.
The Advantage of Partnering With Cross Company
From design and installation to testing and optimization, Cross Company provides comprehensive support to help you get the most out of your equipment. We work directly with you to design a charging system tailored to the specific needs of your machine and operation. With our team of engineers, we have the experience needed to integrate advanced charging systems into your mobile equipment, ensuring reliable performance and seamless operation.
If your operation regularly travels between job sites, over-the-road charging solutions from Cross can provide greater productivity and efficiency. By turning drive time into charge time, you can extend your machine’s duty cycles, reduce battery costs, and complete more jobs in a single day. Contact Cross Mobile Systems Integration today to learn more about how we can help you implement this robust, game-changing solution for your work truck or mobile machine.