Electricity will play an increasingly important role in the future. Edwin Jennissen and Pieter Pels of Jennissen in Den Dungen, Brabant, definitely believe so. That's why Jennissen invested in a brand-new DX355LC Electric crawler excavator , delivered by Staad earlier this year. Initial experiences have been better than expected. But more on that later.
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Jennissen originated in 1993 from the dairy farm of Toon and Riek Jennissen. Sons Jan, Toon, and Edwin jointly run the Jennissen businesses, which are active in earthworks and land development, agricultural contracting, and manure distribution and transport. They also oversee two dairy farms. Through hard work, perseverance, and delivering on their promises, the company has grown into a significant player in its field. Approximately 150 employees, including several third-generation Jennissens, and an extensive fleet of machinery keep the business running.
Edwin expects that at least 90% of the excavators and other equipment will be electrically powered in the future. "I think at Jennissen, at some point, we'll even have an entire electric fleet." Investing in electric machinery therefore fits perfectly with Jennissen's vision of sustainability. Edwin: "That's about safety, health, the environment, and circularity. Our machines run on sustainable fuels that reduce CO2. This way, we ensure that our CO2 footprint continues to shrink." For two years now, the company has had a biogas plant that generates gas from manure and then returns it to the gas company. Pieter adds: "With 12,000 solar panels on the roofs of our buildings, we also generate our own energy. We also have our own charging station, where we can charge our electric truck, for example. And as a next step, we've now purchased the Electric DX355LC crawler excavator because we want to keep up with the demands of the times. Electric machinery gives you an advantage."
Jennissen has worked extensively for Ploegam since 1999, allowing them to follow Staad's development firsthand. They also knew Staad from the Develon (formerly Doosan) mini-excavators that are part of their fleet. "Both are very reliable partners. And in terms of knowledge of machine electrification, they have the most expertise of all suppliers. But what really clinched the deal was the interchangeable Powerbox batteries," says Edwin. "When such a large excavator is on a jobsite, you want to be able to work a full day without any problems and not have to go somewhere halfway through the day to charge the battery. That takes a lot of time and therefore a lot of money." Pieter explains that a truck now arrives daily with fully charged Powerboxes, which are swapped out in no time. "Five minutes—that's all it takes. And it doesn't matter if the batteries are still empty; we swap them out every day, so we can be sure we can always keep working."
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The emission-free Electric DX355LC crawler excavator was delivered in May 2025. The undercarriage has been widened and raised for even greater stability and fitted with a chain box on both sides. For balance, the counterweight has been increased by approximately 4,000 kg, making the machine a real heavyweight. The extended boom has a length of 14 meters, and the machine is equipped with a tilting unit, central grease lubrication, and the latest GPS system for fine finishing. The pressurized cabin is equipped with a shoe support. The engine is powered by two Powerbox 400 battery packs specially developed for this machine. The Electric DX355LC is painted in the blue Ploegam livery and is being fully deployed by Jennissen for this customer. The machine has already proven its value in the residential development of an area in Waalre, a dike reinforcement project in the Neder-Betuwe region, a self-retaining flood barrier in Arcen, and nature restoration in Klarenbeek.
Pieter was the first to experience the Electric DX355LC. "The machine is very versatile. Every new machine has teething problems, and this one was no different. But I only had to call Staad, and they came up with a solution." He mentions the lifting cylinders as an example. "Immediately after our call, they made adjustments that improved the boom's stability and allowed us to reach greater heights and depths. Look, for us, it's all about lifting power and speed. Staad listens to us. And during the summer holidays, the machine was further fine-tuned."
So what about those expectations? Pieter laughs. “I expected the operator to have to adapt, perhaps need training to operate the DX355LC. But it's like an electric car. Once you've driven one, you know what you're talking about. We thought we'd be doing lighter work with the machine, but it turned out it's actually very well-suited for heavier work.” Pieter concludes: “The best part is that we'd hoped the machine, if all went well, would last a whole day. We were surprised: it just keeps going…”
This article was published as an advertorial in Cumela 's trade magazine Grondig (number 8 2025).
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