Danfoss powers the world’s first emission-free mobile crane in the Netherlands

21 July 2025

Solution provider

Danfoss engineers solutions that increase machine productivity, reduce emissions, lower energy consumption, and enable electrification.

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Challenge

With an extra 2.5 billion people expected to live in urban areas by 2050 and global building floor to double by 2060, cities around the globe are looking to eliminate pollution emanating from construction sites. The construction industry is a significant source of pollution, responsible for 38% of total global emissions as of 2021 and thousands of noise complaints annually. To help countries and municipalities meet their net-zero pledges, the construction industry must quickly decarbonize and adopt carbon-neutral practices.

Solution

Danfoss started working with Spierings Mobile Cranes, a market leader in construction machinery, in 2016. The first project we undertook with Spierings was the SK487-AT3 City Boy, the world’s first mobile crane powered entirely by electricity and capable of zero-emission operation. With a width of just 2.55 meters and a total length of 13.08 meters, the City Boy is also Spiering’s most compact crane. It is easy to manoeuvre and best suited for operation in urban environments, with a truck footprint of under 10 meters.

Powered by an electric permanent magnet synchronous motor driving the first and third axels, the City Boy’s power supply comes from either the battery pack or the diesel generator.

Result

The release of the City Boy was followed in 2019 by the development of a new eLift solution, for which Danfoss provided the components of the electric power pack. The eLift can be operated in either fully electric or hybrid mode. As of 2020, all the machines manufactured by Spierings have electric functionality. Over 150 Spierings machines are now operational with the eLift, which has become a preferred option for customers looking for zero-emission operation and low fuel consumption. The unique solution eliminates local emissions and significantly reduces energy consumption compared to its conventional diesel-powered counterparts. In March 2023, Spierings stopped building and selling conventional diesel cranes, meaning that all of its new crane sales include the hybrid eLift, with an average of two new machines being built weekly.