An excavator with a boom comprises a main electrical drive system with an electrical power storage unit. The excavator comprises an electrical drive configured to actuate movement of the boom to raise and/or lower part of the boom. The excavator comprises a separate fluid-operated, auxiliary actuation system for storing potential energy of the part of the boom during lowering thereof and for using the stored potential energy to support raising of the part of the boom. The auxiliary actuation system is configured to store the potential energy and to support raising the part of the boom autonomously without interaction with the main electrical drive system.