Liebherr launches 150 tonne electric all terrain crane

First sight of Liebherr’s new five axle, 150 tonne capacity, wheeled mobile telescopic crane with battery, grid and diesel power. Photo: Liebherr

Brand new from Liebherr in Germany is a 150 tonne capacity wheeled mobile telescopic crane with hybrid electric and diesel drive.

The five axle LTM 1150-5.4E has both a conventional diesel engine and an electric drive. It carries a battery to allow untethered movement and it can also be plugged in via a cable to the electricity grid on site to charge the battery and for full power operation.

Its 400 kW (544 hp) diesel engine complies with the EU Stage V exhaust emission regulation. It can also run on hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO). Using HVO instead of normal diesel reduces carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 90 per cent.

Using it on electricity reduces the exhaust emissions at the point of use to zero. It is also quieter than operating a crane with an engine running.

The 111 kW electric motor offers “virtually the same performance as the six-cylinder combustion engine,” Liebherr said. It runs at high speed and is liquid cooled.

The standard diesel LTM 1150-5.4 has one engine in the carrier. It transmits its drive for crane operation via mechanical shafts and gearboxes through the slew ring and up into the superstructure to run the hydraulic pumps.

The electric motor powers the gear shaft to the pump transfer gearbox in the superstructure via a distributor gear. The battery pack with its integrated charger is attached to the rear of the crane. Image: Liebherr

E-power

On the electric version the electric motor, mounted in the carrier, has a transfer gearbox and then after that uses the same mechanical driveline as the diesel engine. The transfer box allows easy switching between diesel-hydraulic power and electro-hydraulic power.

Liebherr said the drive concept of the new LTM 1150-5.4E builds on the proven technology of the Liebherr LTC 1050-3.1E compact crane, first shown to the industry trade press in April 2022. That crane was then first shown in public at the Bauma exhibition in Munich, Germany, in October the same year. The 50 tonner’s crane elements can be powered either by the conventional diesel engine or by an electric motor from a mains supply.

The important difference with the new 150 tonner is that it has a battery pack with integrated charger mounted on the rear of the crane’s carrier. This unit weighs 1.5 tonnes and it is a 99 kWh battery.

Autonomous operation

At the Bauma trade show in April Liebherr is showing the LTM 1150-5.4E, its first electrically driven mobile crane with an onboard battery. It also has a diesel engine. Image: Liebherr

A primary advantage of this is that the crane can operate autonomously from the battery, for about four hours, without needing to have a power connection to the grid.

Another advantage is that even a small grid connection of 16 or 32 Amps is enough for the crane to be able to operate at full power. The battery provides power to cover spikes in demand over and above what the mains connection can provide. It is also constantly being charged while connected to the mains.

Connection for charging is via a CEE high-current plug at 16, 32 or 64 Amps, up to 44 kW. Or a modern CCS plug can be used for fast charging at up to 80 kW.

Like the LTM 1150-5.4 (which is the latest version of the new hybrid crane’s conventional diesel sibling) the E version also now has the Liccon3 control system.

The preceding LTM 1150-5.3 was introduced in 2020. Its fully extended 66 metre boom lifts 9.1 tonnes, making it good to erect tall structures and tower cranes.

Nine tonnes of ballast can be carried onboard at 12 tonnes per axle for an all up weight of 60 tonnes. This means a lot of work can be done without needing ballast vehicles.

See this new Liebherr and many other new cranes at the Bauma trade show in Munich, Germany, from 7 to 13 April. See our full guide to the crane and transport exhibitors at the show.

Liebherr LTM 1150-5.4E hybrid crane with diesel, battery or grid power. Image: Liebherr