Owner of the first full electric Avant e5 in Finland, Tero Lahti (left), and salesman Jorma Venäläinen.

The full electric Avant convinced a farmer

The first full electric Avant e5 in Finland was sold to a dairy farm. It has already redeemed its place in daily tasks and gets a lot of praise from the farm owners.

- The best qualities that our new Avant e5 has are zero emissions and low noise level. Me, my wife and our dairy cows are not exposed to the exhaust emissions and the health risks they cause anymore. This was an investment for both our own health and animal well-being, tells the farmer Tero Lahti. 

The new Avant e series has two models: Avant e5 and Avant e6 which both are full electric, battery-powered loaders. With battery-powered loader it is possible to work with full power without emissions, so they are perfect for working inside. The new models are developed to meet the needs of farms, horse stables, demolition and construction contractors and are in line with tightening emission standards.

- Avant e5 is compact in size and agile to move, it also has a great outreach. Now we are able to take care of bedding with the loader and can forget the wheelbarrows, rejoices the farmer’s wife Outi Lahti.

In addition to agility, the new models also have all the familiar Avant features: ease of use and versatility. Quick coupling system for attachments, multi connector for hydraulic hoses and wide range of attachments make e series a great loader option for all kinds of farms and industry.

Easy to charge, lots of power

From the technical side the e5 is equipped with a 240Ah lead acid battery. It is equipped with two electric motors: a 6kW motor for driving the machine and a 2kW motor for loader boom operation and auxiliary hydraulics. Avant e5 has 30 l/min auxiliary hydraulics flow, which allows working with various Avant attachments, including hydraulic hammer and various grapples.

- An onboard charging unit is included in the machine, which enables charging from any 230V/16A power outlet and makes charging of the loader extremely easy. It is also possible to work while charging if needed, explains the salesman Jorma Venäläinen.

Charging time of the battery pack to 100 % battery capacity is approximately 5 hours, but already in three hours it is possible to reach up to 80 % battery capacity. Operation time of the Avant e5 varies highly depending on the type of work it is performing and typically it is between 1–4 hours. 

- Light duty tasks like feeding and bedding do not use so much battery power. We always charge our loader between tasks and every time when it is possible, tells Lahti. 

Lahti has kept his Avant in the warm barn when not using it. It is recommendable to keep the loader stored in warm spaces for battery life. The battery life has been promised to cover at least 1,500 full charge cycles.

- In practice, this means about four or five years, but in light use life expectancy can be easily over ten years, estimates Lahti. 

- Electric motor always has full torque so at first the loader feels more rapid with its back and forward movements. In the beginning we had to be careful with our gas foot, says Lahti.

Familiar quality and design from Finland

The Avant e5 collects praise from its new owners also for low operating and maintenance costs, as the electric motors have fewer and more wearable parts. Great savings also come from fuel costs. In addition to the financial reasons, the purchasing decision was strongly supported by the values of the farmers.

- The fact that Avant is made here in Finland and it is environmental friendly are important for us. Our long-term dream is to start using solar energy at the farm. Having an electric Avant is one step closer towards our greener dreams, tells Lahti. 

Before the new Avant e5 the Lahti family had an Avant 520 at the farm. It has worked flawlessly and still helps around with everyday tasks. At the Lahti farm the experiences from Avant have been exceptionally positive.

- I am particularly fond of the rigid articulation joint that all Avant models have. It makes the loader very stable. But I've heard that in this matter everyone has their own opinions, laughs Lahti.

The other e series model Avant e6 is equipped with lithium battery

The Avant e5 that Tero Lahti has, is the first one in Finland that has been delivered to a customer. This novelty is already in production and customer deliveries have started. The production of Avant e6 will start approximately in Autumn 2017.

Avant e6 is same sized as Avant e5 but it has more efficient batteries. The model is equipped with a 288 Ah lithium battery. Due to this, Avant e6 performs more efficiently, charging is faster and it is more flexible to use. With rapid charger, it is possible to reach 100% battery charge in one hour. Like Avant e5, Avant e6 is also equipped with two electric motors: a 6kW motor for driving the machine and a 2kW motor for loader boom operation and auxiliary hydraulics.

- I would also give a plus from the fact that we are able to change our normal batteries to lithium ones in the future if we want – make Avant e5 to Avant e6 easily. This loader is an excellent choice all in all, concludes Lahti.