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MOOG Construction’s energy skunkworks ZQUIP made headlines last year by bringing the cordless power tool battery model to the world of industrial-grade heavy equipment – now, they’re making it even easier for job sites to make every kilowatt count by enabling them to switch from diesel to electric and back, on the same machine. (!)

Battery swapping. The idea is simple enough, and its widespread adoption over the last two or three decades of power tools has proven its effectiveness in some of the toughest proving grounds the world over. Construction sites, demolition crews, and landscapers trust their cordless tools – and they’ve often wondered aloud when the EV industry will catch up with the hardware space.

MOOG Construction’s ZQUIP seemed to be the first Western company to get on the ball, developing a proof-of-concept model built on a Caterpillar CAT 308 8-ton excavator that took the conventional diesel machine into a quiet, 140 kW, zero-emissions excavator ready to go to work on urban projects with strict noise regulation challenges or on environmentally sensitive zero drip job sites. Each of its 140 kWh battery packs Energy Modules could be removed and “hot swapped” with a freshly charged pack without the need to get the machine back to a charging station, or the need to stop work.

But what if you need something different? What if you find yourself in a situation where continuous power is needed and access to grid power and gensets are both limited?

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For that, you need a diesel – and ZQUIP’s latest ZQ140 diesel-powered genset Energy Module works like an EREV to provide a continuous supply of kW to the big CAT’s electric motors, keeping it running 24/7 (or until the tanker runs out of diesel, anyway). The solution eliminates the need for fleet managers or rental companies to carry two assets, and enables buyers to decarbonize where they can without wasting resources on duplicating machinery, or duplicating battery capacity.

“Imagine a construction site with six ZQuip machines,” offers Kathy Wells. “Two need 800 kWh of battery capacity while four require 400 kWh. The total energy for the day equals 3.2 mWh. In contrast, today’s traditional all-electric vehicles might come equipped with an 800-kWh battery on each of the six machines mentioned above.”

In Wells’ scenario, the fleet owner would effectively be paying for 50% more battery capacity than they need. That’s not only capacity that would go unused, it could be argued that the raw materials spent making those batteries could be put to better use elsewhere.

And if fleet managers get the math wrong? Kathy says that’s fine, too. “(Fleets) optimize each machine by installing the appropriate number of ZQUIP Energy Modules — and, if necessary, swap them across any machine on the job site.”

Hot swapping modules

ZQUIP Energy Modules; via MOOG Construction.

In addition to optimizing battery capacity and introducing greater energy flexibility into a job site’s operations, the ZQUIP modules increase uptime by eliminating the need to rotate the machine out of operation for engine maintenance.

“The diesel power modules have a 1.2-by-0.8-meter footprint and stand 1.1 meters high, the same dimensions as a 140-kWh ZQUIP battery power module, or ZQ140. The diesel power module has a 25kW continuous rating, 48-liter tank, and IoT-connected ZQUIP software. “Unlike traditional machines,” reads the ZQUIP release, “ZQUIP vehicle owners do not spend money to take a machine out of service and transport it for engine maintenance. Workers can easily and cost-effectively transport, swap out and maintain the diesel power module while the operator and machine continue working with new power modules.”

ZQUIP will have a presence in two activations at bauma 2025. First, at the Moog Construction booth, the company will have its OG Caterpillar CAT 308-based machine and a new, CASE CX210-ZQ. ZQUIP will also have a presence at the Case Construction booth, where visitors can see a new CASE WX155-ZQ machine, marking the start of an official collaboration between MOOG and Case parent company CNH.

Electrek’s Take

We were lucky enough to have Chris and Rob from Moog Construction, whose innovative new ZQUIP modular Energy Modules are revolutionizing the future of job sites and fleet asset management, as guests on The Heavy Equipment Podcast last year. Here’s that episode again (also available on Apple Podcasts), so check it out as we get started on Season 3.

SOURCE | IMAGES: ZQUIP; via T&D World, Access Newswire.

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The SEL trim is the best 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 lease deal right now

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The SEL trim is the best 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 lease deal right now

The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 SEL is more expensive than the more basic SE, but it’s a better lease deal this month – here’s the lowdown.

The 2025 IONIQ 5 SE Standard Range is the cheapest lease deal right now because it can be leased for $199 per month over 24 months with $3,999 due at signing.

If you want to drive the 2025 IONIQ 5 SE Long Range, which adds an extra 73 miles of range and 57 horsepower, the monthly payment rises to $229 per month over 24 months, with $3,999 due at signing. As CarsDirect points out, that puts the effective monthly cost at $396, and that’s a fantastic deal relative to the SE Long Range’s price of $48,125.

But when we look at the SEL trim, things get interesting: You can upgrade to the $51,075 SEL model for just $10 more per month.

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Hyundai cut $40 off the lease price of the 2025 IONIQ 5 SEL in March, giving it a monthly price of $406. CarsDirect reports that Hyundai is able to offer this great deal on the SEL trim because of the comparably high residual value (65% vs. 63%) and $750 more in lease cash ($12,250 vs. $11,500) factored into the payment than the SE Long Range.

The SEL and SE Long Range have the same powertrain, but that extra $10 a month gets you projector headlights, roof rails, a hands-free power liftgate, a power passenger seat, heated rear seats, rear climate control vents, a heated steering wheel, and other goodies.

These 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 offers are advertised in Los Angeles and are valid through March 31.

Click here to find a dealer that may have the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 SEL in stock. trusted affiliate link


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Tesla is banned from Canada EV rebate program, gov freezes suspicous $43 million in rebates

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Tesla is banned from Canada EV rebate program, gov freezes suspicous  million in rebates

Tesla has been banned from upcoming federal EV rebate programs in Canada as the government freezes the suspicious $43 million in rebates that Tesla claimed days before the program was paused earlier this year.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Tesla claimed $43 million in government rebates from the iZEV federal EV rebate program in Canada just a few days before the program was paused due to a lack of funds.

The move was suspicious as it would have required Tesla to deliver over 8,000 vehicles at just 4 locations on a weekend, which is physically impossible.

It is believed that Tesla preemptively filed for thousands of rebates after being made aware of the pause to ensure it wouldn’t run out in an anticipated surge in demand due to the program’s pause.

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However, this tactic proved problematic. The government told other car dealers who actually delivered EVs before the end of the program that they couldn’t get the rebates, which were already applied to the customer purchases, as Tesla took most of the money for vehicles it likely didn’t deliver.

Today, Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s new transport minister, confirmed that the funds have been frozen until it can investigate precisely what happened with Tesla’s rebates.

Furthermore, Freeland confirmed that Tesla will be banned from future federal rebates for electric vehicles. In this case, it has more to do with the trade war launched by President Trump, whose biggest political donor is Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

She said (via the Toronto Star):

No payments will be made until we are confident that the claims are valid. I also directed my department to change the eligibility criteria for future iZEV programs to ensure that Tesla vehicles will not be eligible for incentives so long as the illegitimate and illegal U.S. tariffs are imposed against Canada.

The federal government is following the same strategy as some provinces. British Columbia has recently banned Tesla products from its EV charger rebate. Nova Scotia just announced that it has excluded Tesla from its $2,000 rebate at the purchase of a new EV.

Quebec just relaunched its own EV incentive program today. It will come into effect next week, and so far, Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y vehicles are still included in the list of eligible vehicles.

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XCharge NA + Hypercharge supercharge Canada’s EV infrastructure

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XCharge NA + Hypercharge supercharge Canada's EV infrastructure

XCharge North America (XCharge NA) and Hypercharge Networks are bringing bidirectional DC fast chargers to Canada, starting in British Columbia and Ontario.

The partnership will introduce XCharge NA’s battery-integrated GridLink 300 kW DC fast chargers that improve grid stability.

GridLink chargers are bidirectional, so they allow power to flow back into the grid or act as an off-grid energy source, contributing to overall grid stability. With a battery storage capacity of 215 kilowatt-hours (kWh), expandable up to 430 kWh, GridLink helps businesses avoid expensive grid upgrades and demand charges.

The chargers are capable of integrating directly with renewable energy sources like solar panels. This makes them ideal for regions still building out their electrical infrastructure to support rapid EV growth, particularly rural areas.

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Under the deal, XCharge NA will supply the GridLink chargers, while Hypercharge will distribute them to automotive dealerships and other commercial customers throughout Canada. Hypercharge will manage software, customer support, and routine maintenance, and its team will receive special training from XCharge NA for more technical hardware repairs.

The partnership aims to address Canada’s rising demand for EV charging by making infrastructure more accessible and reliable. “We look forward to seeing how our GridLinks can help strengthen Canada’s grid stability, particularly in rural deployments, while also addressing the region’s growing demand for EVs and supporting electric transportation needs,” said Aatish Patel, cofounder and president of XCharge NA.

Read more: California now has nearly 50% more EV chargers than gas nozzles


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