Sharp Equipment USA

After the first lithium-ion battery hand tool for the trades was introduced in 2005, a representative of a major tool distributor called it the most significant advance in tools in the last 20 years.

Who would have predicted that less than 20 years later, lithium-ion tools would take over the market, and many if not most, building construction sites would be “cordless”.

Not only that, but larger lithium–ion powered equipment–chain saws, lawn mowers, edgers, and trimmers, are available.

Now, a lithium-ion vacuum excavator is in production. A prototype has been in operation for nearly a year at B&H Construction in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, operating all over North Texas and Oklahoma, in winter, spring, summer and fall. Production of new units started in September of this year and is rapidly increasing to meet market demand said Dan Sharpe founder of Sharp Equipment and long time Industry veteran.
The capabilities of our electric vacuum excavator are comparable and even superior in many ways to the existing combustion models in the market with an 800 gallon spoils tank trailer vac with 1,000 cfm, said Sharpe.

Just as conventional vacuum excavators, the electric version can perform soft excavation for potholes or dig trench in confined areas too small for larger equipment, can keep work sites free of HDD drilling fluids escaping from bore holes and for general clean-up operations.

How did the development of an electric vacuum excavator unfold? “I will start from the beginning and tell you how we got to where we are,” said Sharpe, “I had the idea for an all electric hydro vac powered by a lithium battery. After much research, we decided to do a Proof of Concept to see if all we had learned would actually work. We did a trailer hydro vac thinking it would be the easiest underground equipment to do.”

Sharpe reached out to a contractor he knew and borrowed the company’s diesel trailer vac and used the company’s shop.
“We took off the shroud and took off the diesel engine,” he continued. “We put in our spec’d out electric motor and a used Tesla battery we got off of Ebay. We hooked that up with all the other components that make it possible for the electric motor to work off of a lithium battery.”

Sharpe and his crew ran the machine for about six weeks, then changed everything out and gave the machine back to its owner.
“We knew we had something,” he said, “and we knew what changes needed to take place and the run times we needed to hit.”
The next step was to build a prototype.

“I brought in an additional partner, Greg Jeter,” Sharpe said. ”We worked together back at Ditch Witch International and he worked for me for 10 years when I was VP of Sales and Marketing at American Augers as the territory manager for Asia Pacific, Australia and the Middle East. Jeter had just finished building and installing solar panels on his farm in Oklahoma and had an electric “kid getter” vehicle on order for about a year, so he was very plugged in to where, we as a Country, are going regarding renewables. He saw the benefits of bringing that technology to the Utility Construction Equipment industry. So with Jeter’s cash, and additional expertise, we started building the prototype last July (2022). In November of 2022, we had the prototype complete. After additional adjustment by our electrical engineer on the software and cooling system, in January we had B&H Construction, out of Oklahoma, test it. They had multiple crews use it across Oklahoma in a variety of jobs, soil conditions, and weather conditions. B&H was outstanding to work with as they are very progressive and forward thinking.”

As with any prototype, there were some issues that still had to be worked through. “One obstacle,” he said, “was finding a coupling that would stand up to the demands of an electric motor, we failed 2 within 30 hours each. Another was adding a cooling system that worked in a construction environment, which was a huge concern.” “Because it worked so reliably, B&H has purchased the very prototype they helped test!” “Demand has been somewhat overwhelming, so as we begin to establish distribution, we are selling directly from the factory and through several Ditch Witch Dealers and several independent dealers.”
Sharpe said the features and benefits of the EV-4, and very soon to be EV-2, launching first quarter of 2024, are many. “With no fuel required whatsoever, the savings over the short term will save our customers money.” “Unlike a traditional hydro-vac, there are no pulleys, no belts, no tensioners, no clutches. There is no engine oil to change, no oil filters, no fuel filters, and no air filters to change so maintenance time and the costs associated with it are greatly reduced.”

“Our vac/blower produces 20” of Mercury which is the most powerful trailer vac on the market,” Sharpe continued, “Our vac can go from 550 cfm to 1,000 cfm, no other vac does this. Our water pump can be controlled from our Control Panel and can go from 1,500 PSI to 3,000 PSI and is infinitely variable. All other manufactures use a mechanical knob on the water pump.
“Our hydro-vac is the quietest in its class. This is the number one concern regarding hydro-vacs. OSHA requires hearing protection of noise above 85 dba and we are below this.”

Sharp Equipment was started by me and a few other industry veterans. We have a wealth of knowledge and experience in underground construction, not just in North American but worldwide. We are building our products in Oklahoma and Texas.

You will typically charge the Electric Hydro Vac back at the shop. All that is needed is a standard 220 Volt /30 amp outlet like you would use for a welding machine. Plug it in at the end of the day and it will take about 6 hours to charge. We designed it to work a typical 8 hour work day.

Is the utility construction market ready for an electric vacuum excavator? Certain segments I would say yes, electric utilities, electric co-ops, water departments, power plants and the rental market, who has already adopted electrification because of ease of use and decreased maintenance requirements. I would say your larger contractors who track fuel and service costs. Those who work in urban areas and are concerned about noise levels. It is not for everyone, those working in remote areas, for example or those that don’t have a place to charge, though it does have a universal charger.

Electric is the future and the future is now! We are first to come to market in this segment and as this technology proliferates, those who embrace and learn this new technology will be ahead of their competition. Many get caught up on the front end cost which is more expensive than a traditional hydro-vac however, that price difference will be made up in 12 to 24 months with just fuel saving. Calculate in decreased maintenance and in the long run it is far more economical to operate and far easier to train the next generation on. Last but not least is potential Tax incentives that could come into play.

Give us a call today!
Dan Sharpe
President