Volvo’s electric heavy machines have been tested. What can an electric excavator and wheel loader do?

Volvo Construction Equipment, which aims to free the heavy machinery market from internal combustion engines, has just revealed the conclusions of a pilot test of an excavator and wheel loader. According to them, the ECR25 Electric and L25 Electric confirmed the performance expectations and showed “significant advantages compared to a diesel machine in the same class”. Good, because they’ll be available for purchase in North America next year.

The ECR25 and L25 Electric are Volvo’s newest electric heavy-duty machines that have just been tested

The most important lesson from the California pilot projects is that these Volvo electric heavy machines were as efficient as their diesel counterparts. They were 90 percent quieter and also required less maintenance. No wonder – it has long been known that electrical systems are more durable and less prone to failure thanks to lower complexity.

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According to estimates, in 400 hours of operation at all locations, these electric heavy machines saved about six tons of carbon dioxide that did not escape into the atmosphere, which in turn saved 2,120 liters of fuel.

In terms of specifications, the electric motor in the 2768 kg ECR25 excavator with a capacity of 24 HP allowed driving around the construction site at speeds of up to 4.5 km / h, and its battery capacity of 20 kWh provides a working time of up to four hours on a single charge. These, up to 80% charge, take about 50 minutes.

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The electric drive system of the L25 wheel loader, on the other hand, combined a 48-horsepower wheel motor with a 43-horsepower unit for operating the bucket lifting hydraulics and a 39-kWh battery that provides up to 8 hours of operation on a single 12-hour 230V AC charge.