With a spread of compact battery electrical machines now established, Volvo Building Gear (Volvo CE) has begun the subsequent chapter in its electrification journey, with the announcement of two midsized wheel loaders, the L90 Electrical and L120 Electrical, alongside a brand new wheeled battery electrical excavator and an electrical, cable related materials handler.
The primary of those autos obtainable to market was the 20-tonne L120 Electrical, which has a six-tonne lifting capability. The L120’s smaller stablemate, the 15-ton L90 Electrical, stated to be the primary battery electrical wheel loader in its class, will observe in chosen European markets in 2025.
The event of the brand new electrical wheel loaders has benefited from battery expertise developed elsewhere within the Volvo Group. “It’s a Volvo electrification system,” says Fredrik Tjernström, Volvo CE electromobility options professional. “It’s executed with the identical elements as you discover in battery electrical Volvo Vehicles.”
When it comes to battery manufacturing, Volvo CE is taking a strategic method to make sure high quality and management over their electrical machines. “There was an evolution,” says Tjerström. “Within the first compact machines we purchased batteries as full methods. However what you see within the new wheel loaders is the subsequent degree – we purchase the modules, after which assemble the batteries in our personal factories.”
This transfer in the direction of in-house battery meeting provides Volvo better management over the standard and efficiency of their electrical machines. It additionally positions the corporate for future developments, with plans to ultimately produce battery cells in-house.
“We’ve began to construct our battery cell manufacturing unit in Skövde, in between Gothenburg and Stockholm [close to Volvo Group’s main powertrain plant]. So that’s the subsequent step for us,” says Tjernström.
When the battery plant was introduced in 2022 Martin Lundstedt, president and CEO of the Volvo Group stated, “Our ambition that at the least 35% of the merchandise we promote are electrical. This ramp-up would require massive volumes of high-performing batteries, produced utilizing fossil free power and it’s a logical subsequent step for us to incorporate battery manufacturing in our future industrial footprint.”
Electrical transmission
One of the vital vital improvements within the new wheel loaders is the devoted electrical transmission. “We’ve eliminated the converter, which precipitated lots of power losses in a standard wheel loader, and electrical motors are immediately related to the transmission,” says Tjernström. This not solely dramatically improves power effectivity but in addition enhances machine responsiveness and total efficiency.
The L90 and L120 Electrical function separate electrical motors for hydraulics and propulsion, additional optimizing power use and efficiency. “In a standard wheel loader, you typically drive or function utilizing one foot on the brake and one on the fuel pedal,” says Tjernström. “As a result of if you need full hydraulic stress to lift the bucket shortly, you step on the brake and push the throttle to construct hydraulic stress. However within the new electrical wheel loaders there isn’t any relation like that. So, you’ll be able to pull the lever hydraulic lever, and you’ll get full hydraulic energy immediately. The accelerator pedal solely controls the drivetrain.”
This decoupled system supplies operators with on the spot hydraulic energy and extra exact management over the machine’s actions. Whereas the brand new management paradigm could require some adaptation for knowledgeable operators accustomed to conventional machines, it finally ends in faster response occasions, improved power effectivity, and elevated productiveness by shorter cycle occasions, in addition to a extra intuitive studying curve for brand new operators.
Matching diesel efficiency
A typical concern with electrical development gear is whether or not it may well match the efficiency of its diesel counterparts. Volvo CE has addressed this head-on with the L90 and L120 Electrical. “You are able to do the identical work duties with this machine,” says Tjernström. “The distinction, in fact, is the runtime.”
Nonetheless, energy autonomy ranges are nonetheless spectacular with the L120 Electrical in a position to work a full day of round 5-9 hours on a single cost, and the L90 Electrical lasting for roughly 4-5 hours of medium responsibility operation. “The hot button is to plan your working day in such a means that you just make the most of non-productive time, utilizing breaks to cost the machine,” says Tjernström.
To make sure most run time Volvo CE has put appreciable thought and engineering into the battery expertise, that are temperature-controlled, that includes each cooling and heating methods to make sure optimum efficiency, whatever the local weather. “We’ve executed intensive buyer assessments in a number of websites in China, Dubai and Australia, with very optimistic suggestions,” says Tjernström.
To boost the benefit of power provision the charging methods for the wheel loaders have been designed with flexibility and practicality in thoughts. They’re suitable with present charging requirements, which reduces the limitations to adoption for corporations seeking to combine electrical machines into their fleets.
“You cost it with a CCS2 inlet in order that’s the identical charging requirements you have got for vehicles or vans,” says Tjernström, “So you’ll be able to share the charging infrastructure on web site with different gear or autos.”
The L90 costs from 0-100% in about 70 minutes utilizing a 150kW DC quick charger or Volvo’s PU500 cellular energy unit, whereas its AC on-board cable can energy up in 6-7 hours for in a single day charging. The L120 costs from 10-100% in a single hour 40 minutes with a 180 kW DC quick charger or the PU500 and in seven hours with a 40 kW DC moveable charger. Each wheel loaders even have recuperative skill, utilizing braking power when decelerating to cost batteries, making certain an extended runtime and brake life.
Enhanced consolation and security
The advantages of the brand new electrical machines lengthen past diminished CO2 emissions. Tjernström factors out the numerous enhancements in operator consolation and web site security: “They’ve a 3rd of the noise of an analogous diesel machines, nevertheless it additionally a tenth of the vibrations. And that’s actually helpful for operator consolation within the work atmosphere. Operators typically don’t consider the influence of noise and vibrations till they struggle it. However then they expertise that they’re not as exhausted afterwards as they’re after they use diesel.”
These dramatic reductions in noise and vibrations additionally make the machines extra appropriate for city environments and enclosed areas, with the discount in emissions decreasing detrimental well being impacts. “The NOx, particulate matter and all the opposite emissions are eliminated,” says Tejernström, “In an city atmosphere this reduces detrimental impacts to the well being and well-being of the individuals within the metropolis, in addition to the operators.”
Electrification has additionally allowed for extra superior management methods and software program integration. Operators can simply entry capabilities and settings from the intuitive interface, which integrates the Volvo Co-Pilot and rearview digicam when fitted.
In the meantime the machine’s powertrain, which was beforehand managed by mechanical methods, is now managed by software program.
“Earlier than it was loads in valves and hoses,” says Tejernström “However now it’s in much more within the software program. “So, you have got extra potentialities to tune and customise the behaviour of the machine or the cooling system or no matter.”
This software-centric method permits for better customization and ongoing enhancements by updates, probably extending the helpful life and capabilities of the machines over time.
With the L90 and L120 Electrical, Volvo CE isn’t just providing new machines; they’re offering a glimpse into the way forward for development gear – a future that’s cleaner, quieter, and extra environment friendly than ever earlier than.
“It’s super-exciting,” says Volvo’s new director of expertise Mats Sköldberg. “These machines will discover functions the place, from a complete value perspective, electrification can begin to make sense for patrons. Now now we have the working hours which imply the comparative value of gas within the diesel model will compensate their funding. We need to exchange bigger machines which emit extra CO2 and thereby improve our influence.”
Digging the longer term
Breaking with conventional secrecy surrounding new launches Volvo CE has given an early preview of its forthcoming EWR150 Electrical wheeled excavator, not obtainable until mid-2025.
The machine is the corporate’s first electrical short-tail wheeled excavator and is assembly a requirement from prospects, a few of whom at present depend on transformed electrical autos. The EWR150 Electrical is a factory-built electrical machine, promising better power effectivity and decrease whole value of possession.
The excavator options state-of-the-art batteries much like these discovered within the new electrical wheel loaders, the L90 and L120, geared up with a thermo-management system to make sure optimum working temperature.
“It’s a machine the place we work very a lot with effectivity, so it is ready to survive a full working day with one cost,” says Heiko Steinbach, an engineer on the event crew at Volvo CE. “That’s eight hours. There could be the odd exception, however I feel we’ll cowl 90% of the functions with one cost after which in a single day charging.”
When it comes to efficiency, the EWR150 Electrical is designed to match its diesel counterpart, the favored EWR150E, with which it shares just about equivalent dimensions. “You may have been in a position to have all the identical capabilities because the conference machine,” says Steinbach, “Which implies you are able to do the identical job as earlier than, with the identical lifting capacities and the identical machine pace and energy.”
One of many key challenges in creating this electrical wheeled excavator was sustaining the compact design whereas incorporating the battery system. “Because the EWR150E is brief radius machine, it was crucial to maintain this compactness,” says Steinbach. “However we use the batteries as counterweight, so meaning the standard counterweight is usually a bit smaller, however the machine is barely heavier than the standard one.”
At all times related
In the beginning of 2024 Volvo CE added one thing totally different in its electrical line up – the cable grid-connected EW240 Electrical Materials Handler, aimed toward indoor waste and recycling centres.
There is no such thing as a means of driving the wheels on the machine, so if it must be moved it should be towed by one other car, however this fits the business is serves as such machines have a tendency to remain in a single place more often than not.
“It could be used to load and unload vans or for sorting.” says Thomas Nather, SAS industrial undertaking supervisor at Volvo CE. “So, it’s designed simply to remain in a single place.”
This method can ship vital effectivity advantages over time with decrease power and upkeep prices and just about zero downtime with not even refuelling or recharging required, however a robust power supply continuously related. “It’s a pure electrical machine, nevertheless it’s pushed by a giant cable,” says Nather, “Meaning 200 volts and 250 amps.”
The EW240 proves that there’s multiple strategy to construct an electrical car and that totally different industries lend themselves to totally different options. “That is positively our start line into electrical machines for this market,” says Nather.
