Heavy Equipment Gets Green Treatment - Alternative and Green * Green * News * Story

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Heavy Equipment Gets Green Treatment

Topics:Ethanol | Alternative Energy | Energy

Sectors:Construction and Materials

Companies:Caterpillar Inc | Hitachi, Ltd.

By: CNBC.com | 16 Jul 2008 | 10:55 AM ET

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Filling up the gas tank of an SUV is nothing compared to the amount of diesel it takes to run a 20-ton excavator all day.

Around the world, construction companies are taking a major hit from soaring fuel costs. The heavy machinery, which runs for hours at a time, consumes hundreds of dollars worth of fuel every day.

But construction equipment manufacturers are stepping up and pioneering some of the latest in energy-saving technology.

Japan's top construction equipment makers, Hitachi [HIT Loading... ()] and Kobelco, both have working excavator prototypes that feature hybrid-drive systems.

In the United States, market-leader Caterpillar [CAT Loading... ()] is in the final stages of testing a bulldozer that uses electric motors. Each firm claims fuel efficiency increases of 25 percent, which could translate into thousands of dollars in savings per year for construction companies.

CNBC's Maria Bartiromo takes a look at some of the manufacturers who are looking to create the next generation of construction equipment (See video above).