Construction giant launches new, nearly silent electric compact rollers: Here’s how they could change the industry

It has long been known that construction sites pollute nearby areas with noise and fumes, which impacts the health and well-being of those around them. Fortunately, heavy equipment manufacturers have joined the green wave and started developing cleaner electric models.

The latest company to tackle the problem is Germany’s Hamm AG, which recently piloted and launched a pair of compact electric tandem and combination rollers to serve the road construction and earthmoving industries in North America, as Electrek reports.

There are two models, the HD 10e and HD 12e, and each is customizable in four different configurations, giving a total of eight new options. Buyers can combine the vibrating or oscillating drums in tandem or with pneumatic tires.

The benefits of switching to electric models include significantly quieter operation and no exhaust pollution (and in this case, on the job site), which solves both of these major challenges on construction sites. Construction companies should also save money, as Hamm says the electric components should be maintenance-free, as detailed in the Electrek report.

Four of the eight options include low-noise oscillating drums and, on the electric models, the quiet combination makes them suitable for areas sensitive to noise and vibration. With an electric motor powering the whole thing, Highways Today claims they are supposed to be twice as efficient and use less energy than traditional models running on polluting fuel.

These new electric machines run on 23.4-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion batteries, which should provide “enough power to drive, steer, and compact for a full workday,” as Hamm explained to Electrek. It should also only take about four hours to fully recharge them once they’re depleted.

Hamm isn’t alone in electrifying industrial and commercial vehicles in hopes of replacing polluting diesel with more environmentally friendly vehicles. When construction giant Skanska first tested the HD 12e on a transit project in Los Angeles, it welcomed the opportunity to reduce its carbon footprint.

Mason Ford, director of sustainability and equipment services for Skanska USA Civil, said at the time, “Skanska is proud to be among the first contractors to test the electric roller with Hamm. The pilot is an important step in the evolution of low-emission construction practices while aligning with Skanska’s commitment to a more sustainable future.”

Until now, diesel has been the go-to fuel for heavy-duty equipment and is a major contributor to carbon dioxide pollution. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2022, diesel contributed about 25% of the CO2 produced by the transportation sector and about 10% of total energy-related pollution in the United States.

Beyond reducing pollution from heat retention in the atmosphere, exhaust fumes from construction vehicles are particularly hazardous to the health of workers who are nearby and breathe in a large portion of the fumes. When there are no fumes and some of the energy is produced by renewable sources such as wind and solar, the health of workers is improved in the long term.

The White House is also supportive of this greener approach to commercial vehicles. It recently launched plans to support the full electrification of the freight sector by 2040. And the USPS is following suit. It announced new infrastructure improvements to support charging for a fleet of 66,000 electric delivery vehicles as part of its Delivering for America plan.

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