ACT EXCLUSIVE: Up close and personal with Bigge’s new “green” crawler

More than 300 people visited the Bigge event. Attendees were wowed by the whisper quiet operation of the Liebherr LR 1250.1 Unplugged.

Who knew how quickly the crane and rigging sector would embrace battery powered cranes and equipment? All the major crane manufacturers have been researching the concept of “green” cranes for several years, looking at cleaner fuels, zero emissions, noise reduction and electric engines. While smaller capacity crane makers have been offering these units for several years, higher-capacity cranes makers are getting in on the concept in a big way.

At Bauma in October 2022 and at ConExpo in March 2023, several battery-operated cranes were displayed. Liebherr has now produced four LR 1250.1 unplugged models, and two of those are now working in the United States, one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast.

Sims Crane and Equipment unveiled its Liebherr LR 1250.1 Unplugged in September 2023, and Bigge rolled out its new model in November 2023.

I travelled out west to see Bigge’s LR 1250.1, and, well wow, was I impressed – with the crane and with Bigge’s commitment to become more environmentally friendly. The company’s push for a “greener future” was evident in several ways.

Liebherr’s Benjamin Kegele and Steve Whisenhunt and Bigge’s Joe Nelms stand in front of the new crane.

Bigge CEO Weston Settlemier said the new crane is the centerpiece of the company’s effort to lower its carbon footprint. The company has shown a true commitment to the environment and spewing fewer emissions into the atmosphere by embracing electric and hybrid vehicles and equipment.

“We are proud to be a part of California’s push for a greener future,” Settlemier said.

He said this is just the first of the battery-operated cranes the company will add to its fleet of more than 1,800 cranes, which Settlemier terms “the perfect fleet.”

Electric fleet

Also on display were the company’s other electric vehicles, including several “yard goat” trucks that haul and deliver materials around the facility. Bigge has also invested in a fleet of electric and hybrid trucks. In 2024, the company will install solar panels to further “go green.”

With an electric drive system, Liebherr said the LR 1250.1 offers the same performance as the conventional version, while putting off zero emissions. The cranes that are a part of the unplugged series are operated by either a battery (unplugged) or plugged in. The battery can last for up to eight hours, depending on the workload. Liebherr designed an app that provides the status of the battery throughout the crane’s operation. The all-electric Liebherr LR 1250.1 Unplugged has a maximum lifting capacity of 275 tons.