Snorkel Electrifies Its Speed Level with High Performing Batteries & System Design Expertise

Snorkel is a global, full-line manufacturer of aerial lifts. The team is dedicated to delivering safe, efficient, work-at-height solutions for people and materials. Snorkel produces more than 50 models available for platform heights ranging from 6 feet to 126 feet. The lifts are designed for applications from interior building maintenance to large-scale construction sites.

The Speed Level is Snorkel’s flagship lift product. It is designed for challenging job sites and capable of scaling gradients up to 50%. The team wanted to move away from diesel to a battery-powered speed level.

The Challenge 

Industry regulations and customer demand are pressuring the construction industry to decarbonize. Snorkel, already ahead of the curve in electrifying its equipment, wanted to rapidly develop a battery-powered Speed Level as proof of concept. Given the iterative nature of design and the necessity of quick integration, Snorkel needed a partner with experience designing and building electric drive systems. Snorkel specifically required a modular battery solution that could scale to support their wide range of vehicles. 

“[The team] was not just a battery supplier. Their extensive experience with developing electric power systems was invaluable in helping us take our product to market quickly.”

Jason Moody  

Head of Engineering, Snorkel

The Solution for the Battery-Powered Speed Level

The manufacturer’s integration experience and expertise in designing proofs of concept helped Snorkel’s speed-to-market strategy for their battery-powered Speed Level. Close collaboration between the two teams allowed the battery manufacturer’s team to understand the Speed Level’s duty cycle and performance demands. This way, they could design a solution with the optimal battery chemistry and specifications to meet vehicle demands. They then worked with Snorkel’s engineers to develop the modular battery system and provide guidance on integrating the battery with the controllers to enable a full drivetrain solution. 

The Battery

The voltage range is 43.4 volts (V)/58.1 V (51.8 V nominal) per battery. Other parameters per battery include: 

• Max Capacity—5.76 kilowatts/111.4 amp (A)-hours 
• Continuous current charge/discharge—132 A/130 A 

The Results 

The team met the deadline for the proof of concept for a modular system that could scale to work with a range of Snorkel machines. With Snorkel’s own electrification capabilities and the proof of concept for the modular battery system, they successfully launched the electric Speed Lift. With it they gained market share and remained competitive. 

The advantages of using electric machines for construction versus diesel: 

• High torque with comparable power and performance to the diesel models 
• Lower maintenance and energy cost 
• Better air quality for indoor use 
• Nearly silent engine allows for extended work hours on construction job sites