The First Hitachi Hybrid ZH210LC-5 Arrives in the UK

The very first Hitachi hybrid machines to be used in the UK have been purchased by Flannery Plant Hire Ltd. The ZH210LC-5 uses the latest and most advanced technology ever used in a Hitachi machine to significantly reduce running costs while maintaining the same efficient performance. The unique hybrid technology also produces fewer emissions and uses less fuel for a reduced environmental impact compared to other excavators.

A combination of hydraulic, electric, and battery powered systems constitute the TRIAS HX system, which achieves a fuel consumption and C02 emission reduction of 31% compared to conventional excavators. This reduction can be further increased to 36% when the ZH210LC-5 is operated in ECO mode. The system works by using swing motion when the arm is operated to generate electricity. This is then stored in the capacitor unit to be discharged to the electric swing motor and power the excavator. Combined with the ZH210LC-5’s hydraulic motor, it operates with the same efficiency and capability as the Zaxis-5 models.

Along with this ground-breaking hybrid technology, the ZH210LC-5 is equipped with a monitoring system to provide precise information on fuel consumption and energy usage, allowing operators to optimise their use of the excavator for the lowest possible running costs. In addition to this, a muffler filter captures and removes air pollutants produced by the excavator.

The results provided by the machine for Flannery Plant Hire Ltd. have lived up to its impressive promise. “We chose the ZH210LC-5 for the environmental benefits and its fuel saving capabilities, and it has certainly delivered,” said MD Patrick Flannery. “The substantial fuel saving was immediately evident, making the excavators very cost beneficial, and they have been performing well on work sites at Heysham Bypass and the A556.”

Graham Pickett from Costain, one of the UK’s leading engineering and construction companies, was also very happy with the machines. He said the machine had attracted a lot of interest, with reduced fuel use providing a significant saving and operators impressed by the excavator’s capabilities. Overall, he said, “100% the machine is a success and I would recommend it to everyone”.

The excavator has also been built to endure any and all conditions. A reinforced undercarriage with the travel motor brackets given extended upper and lower plates reduces stress exerted on them by 40%. To test the machine’s capability, it was taken for a punishing trial run in Finland, maintaining optimum performance even in the difficult, snowy terrain and Artic Circle level temperatures.

The purchase continues Flannery Plant Hire Ltd.’s program of continually investing in the cutting edge of modern, eco-friendly and cost effective excavators and construction machinery. Incorporated in 1972, the company has built a fleet of over 2000 vehicles from its base near Wembley Stadium, with depots in Manchester, Newport, Birmingham and Northumberland for nationwide coverage. The landmark excavator also serves as a great milestone for the more than four decades of business between Flannery Plant Hire Ltd. and Hitachi Construction Machinery (UK) Ltd.