Economic Benefits analysis Of New Energy Road Hedge Trimming Machine

　　Vehicle-mounted road hedge trimming machine are widely used for maintaining green belts on expressways. Currently, such equipment predominantly uses internal combustion engines for power, including generator sets and diesel engines.

　　Generator sets typically employ twin-cylinder air-cooled gasoline engines with an engine power of 20–30 kW, providing an electrical output of 10–15 kW. The trimming cutter is driven by a three-phase AC motor, offering high speed and excellent cutting performance.

　　When using a diesel engine for power, a four-cylinder water-cooled engine (such as the 490-type diesel engine) is commonly used. The diesel engine’s flywheel is equipped with an oil pump that drives the cutter via a hydraulic motor.

　　1. Fuel Consumption Costs

　　Using a gasoline generator set typically consumes about 7 liters of fuel per hour under general working conditions, costing over 50 RMB. Using a diesel engine consumes approximately 10 liters per hour, costing over 60 RMB. Based on six hours of actual operation per day, daily fuel costs range between 300–400 RMB. This represents a significant expense for road maintenance units, roughly equivalent to the wages of two workers.

　　2. Engine Maintenance Costs

　　Engine maintenance requires specialized expertise and is generally handled by professional technicians, making it labor-intensive and time-consuming. Inadequate maintenance can severely impact the engine’s service life. In practice, issues such as insufficient engine oil, incorrect oil types leading to engine damage, clogged filters reducing engine power, and uncleared branches posing fire hazards are frequently encountered.

　　Typically, engine oil needs to be changed every six months, costing around 200 RMB. Due to the harsh working environment of hedge trimming, oil filters, fuel filters, and air filters require frequent cleaning and replacement. The annual maintenance cost for each engine generally exceeds 2,000 RMB.

　　3. Carbon Dioxide Emissions

　　This is an often-overlooked issue but holds significant importance for implementing the national "Dual Carbon" strategy. Equipment manufacturers and state-owned road maintenance units should take responsibility in this regard.

　　Complete combustion of one liter of gasoline produces approximately 2.25 kg of carbon dioxide, while one liter of diesel produces about 2.63 kg. Therefore, operating a hedge trimmer at full load for one hour results in over 15 kg of CO₂ emissions for a gasoline engine and over 20 kg for a diesel engine. Based on six hours of daily operation, CO₂ emissions amount to around 100 kg.

　　4. Carbon Reduction and Cost Savings with Lithium Batteries

　　The practice of automotive electrification demonstrates that replacing internal combustion engines with lithium batteries offers significant economic and social benefits.

　　Yantai Equation Mechanical Technology Co., Ltd. has pioneered the GLC3-45D series of new energy road hedge trimming machine this year. These trimming machine use a 628 Ah lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery for power, consuming only 5 kWh of electricity per hour at a cost of just 4 RMB. Operating for a full day costs less than 30 RMB in electricity, saving approximately 300 RMB daily in fuel costs compared to internal combustion engines while reducing CO₂ emissions by 90%.

　　This model can be charged using a standard 220V power supply and operates for 6–8 hours on a full charge. The lithium battery requires almost no maintenance, eliminating all engine upkeep costs.

　　Baoqing Li

　　Dep. of Technology

　　baoqing@equationtec.com