4QT electrifies heavy construction machinery

The ETH spin-off develops a modular drive platform that electrifies and automates heavy machinery in construction, mining and agriculture.

Heavy machines share the same unsolved problem: they run on diesel, are difficult to automate, and replacing them costs millions. This is exactly where 4QT comes in. The ETH spin-off has developed Drive Core, a modular drive platform that can be installed in existing machines without modifying the machine itself. This allows vehicles to be electrified, made autonomous-capable and kept open for future energy sources at the same time.

"The construction industry urgently needs innovation," says Christoph Lang, CCO and co-founder of 4QT. "Construction machinery emits more than three gigatons of CO₂ per year. That's more than India, the world's third-largest emitter." With Drive Core, 30 to 50 percent of fuel costs and CO₂ emissions can be saved. Together with Swiss construction company WALO Bertschinger, 4QT built the world's first fully electrified 8-tonne dumper. Drive Core is already being used in the defence sector and is set to be deployed in mining, agriculture and even space applications in the future.

After a year and a half at Büro Züri at Innovation Park Zurich, the team feels at home: "This is where we belong."