JCB is marking a major milestone with the production of its 1,000th award-winning electric mini-excavator.
The manufacturer went into full production with the world’s first volume-produced all-electric mini-excavator in 2019. Employees at JCB Compact Products in Cheadle, Staffordshire, have now gathered on the shop floor to cheer the latest 19C-E model off the production line.
JCB chairman Lord Bamford said, “We are delighted with the success of JCB’s electric mini-excavator, which is proving very popular around the world, particularly in North America, France and the UK where there is a growing demand for zero emissions equipment operating in urban environments.”
The 19C-1E is described as five times quieter than its diesel counterpart, can be fully charged in under two hours, and can complete a typical full shift on a single charge. The model has been popular with companies working inside buildings and in emissions and noise-sensitive inner-city areas.
JCB described the machine as ‘perfect’ for working indoors or outdoors, in factories, tunnels or basements, for digging foundations, or on utility projects.
In 2019, the Royal Automobile Club presented JCB with the Dewar Trophy for ‘Outstanding Technical Achievement in the British Automotive Industry’ for the development of the 19C-1E. The following year, the Royal Academy of Engineering in the UK announced the model had won the MacRobert Award, a prize for innovation that has been presented since 1969 to honour engineering feats, including the CT scanner and Rolls-Royce’s Pegasus engine used in the Harrier jump jet.
