Why are excavators so expensive? Revealing the cost logic behind construction machinery
In recent years, as the core equipment in engineering construction, the price of excavators has remained high, triggering widespread discussions. This article will analyze the underlying reasons for the high price of excavators from multiple dimensions such as market supply and demand, technology cost, and industrial chain, combined with hot data from the entire network in the past 10 days.
1. Background of hot topics: The construction machinery industry continues to heat up

According to the hot search data on the entire network, in the past 10 days, the search volume of keywords such as "excavator price increase" and "infrastructure investment" increased by 35% year-on-year. The following are relevant hot data statistics:
| Hot search keywords | Search volume increase | Related events |
|---|---|---|
| Excavator price | 42% | Sany Heavy Industry releases new model |
| Steel prices rise | 28% | Raw material cost pressure transmission |
| New energy excavator | 65% | Policies promote electrification transformation |
2. Four core factors for the high price of excavators
1. Raw material costs account for more than 40%
The prices of basic materials such as steel and rubber continue to rise, directly pushing up production costs. Taking a 20-ton excavator as an example, its material cost distribution is as follows:
| Material type | cost ratio | Price fluctuations in the past year |
|---|---|---|
| Special steel | 32% | +18.7% |
| Hydraulic components | 25% | +12.3% |
| electronic control system | 15% | +9.5% |
2. Huge investment in technology research and development
Modern excavators integrate innovative functions such as intelligent control and energy-saving technology, and the research and development expenses of leading companies account for 5%-8% of revenue. Take the 2023 data of a certain brand as an example:
| Technical direction | Single machine value-added cost | Functional benefits |
|---|---|---|
| driverless system | ¥85,000 | Reduce labor costs by 30% |
| hybrid | ¥62,000 | Fuel consumption reduced by 40% |
3. Imbalance between supply and demand
In 2023, the number of global infrastructure projects will increase by 21% year-on-year, while excavator production capacity will only increase by 9%, causing the supply and demand gap to continue to expand. The delivery cycle of some models has reached more than 6 months.
4. After-sales service system cost
Including commitments such as a 10-year warranty and 24-hour response, the service cost accounts for approximately 8%-12% of the terminal selling price.
3. Outlook on future trends of the industry
With the popularization of electrification and intelligent technologies, prices will remain high in the short term. But in the long term, large-scale production and technology iteration are expected to reduce overall costs by 15%-20%. Investors need to pay attention to the following directions:
| trend areas | degree of influence | Typical business dynamics |
|---|---|---|
| battery power | ★★★★☆ | CATL cooperates with Sany to develop battery packs |
| unmanned mine | ★★★☆☆ | XCMG releases 5G remote control system |
Conclusion:The high price of excavators is the result of multiple factors. Users need to comprehensively consider the life cycle cost of the equipment when purchasing, rather than just focusing on the initial purchase price. With technological breakthroughs and industrial upgrading, the market may usher in a new price equilibrium point.
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