(Credit: Volvo CE)Volvo Construction Equipment announced Tuesday that North American customers can now reserve any of the company’s three newest electric machine models: an electric compact wheel loader and electric compact excavators.
The electric compact wheel loader , expected to deliver up to six hours of active work per charge, comes with a choice of battery pack (33kWh or 40kWh) and reduces maintenance by 30%, Volvo says. The electric compact excavators provide the same stability and operator experience customers expect from their diesel counterparts, the company says; both deliver four hours of active work per charge.
All three machines come with an integrated on-board charger, allowing them to charge from zero to 100% in under six hours using the charging cable on a 240-volt outlet — the same plug and charging system on a typical electric vehicle. With an optional off-board fast charger, the wheel loader will fully charge in under just two hours, while the excavators will charge up to 80% in under one hour
A Volvo CE analysis found that, because of factors like less necessary maintenance and not paying for fuel, a compact excavator would increase costs on a two-week trenching project by only 2% over the equivalent diesel model. That’s a 2% premium for an emissions-free site — something many equipment owners could find to be a great deal if they are able to work on new types of projects or can market themselves as a sustainable solution when bidding on jobs, Volvo points out.
Other companies have also been curating and renting more electric vehicles for commercial use. United Rentals, the world’s largest equipment rental company, has announced a new agreement with Ford Pro to purchase all-electric vehicles for its North American rental and company fleets. Additionally, Lightning eMotors, provider of zero-emission, medium-duty commercial vehicles and electric vehicle technology for fleets, and Perrone Robotics have partnered to offer Class 3 – 7 commercial fleet customers an autonomous electric fleet option.
